VASCO: Smuggling of gold into the country, especially through Air India flights from Dubai, has always been a concern for security agencies in Goa. With smugglers looking for new ways to smuggled gold though Dabolim airport, every day is a challenge for Goa Customs.
Goa Customs has intensified its vigil at the airport to foil smuggling attempts, which often involves smugglers concealing gold on their person or molding it into objects that attract least attention.
According to statistic from the customs department, most of the gold smuggling attempts reported this year was through Air India’s flight AI-984, which comes to Goa from Dubai via Mumbai airport. In most of those cases, the smugglers are usually residents of Bhatkal, Karnataka.
Over 20 cases of gold seizures were reported since January 2015, out of which at least 11 cases involved passengers from flight AI-984. Customs officials seized over 6 kilos of gold from the smugglers.
Customs officials have theories as to why that Air India flight and Bhatkal natives are common in most cases. A custom official who did not wish to be named said, “The AI-984 international flight, which comes to Goa from Dubai via Mumbai, becomes a domestic flight after landing at Mumbai airport. Smugglers find it easier to plant their carriers in Mumbai, and the latter will board the same flight to Goa. It is only due to the stopover facility that smugglers use this flight to smuggle gold.”
Regarding the involvement of Bhatkal natives, the official stated, “We have found that the carriers from Bhatkal come from poor families. The smuggling kingpin arranges for their tickets and offers them few thousand rupees. The carriers accept the deal without knowing the knowing the consequences and later get caught.”
The carriers use various methods to smuggle gold, including hiding it in the rectum, concealing it between cartons or inside electronic gadgets. The trend of using insiders at the airport (ground staff) has become a major concern for security agencies.
Last year, a Goa-based travel agent and a loader was arrested for attempting to aid smugglers. The recent arrest of a CISF female constable in a gold smuggling case at Dabolim airport had brought the new modus operandi to the fore. It has increased the problems of Goa Customs, which is functioning despite a severe staff crunch.
