NEW DELHI: In about a week, the Customs Department at the Indira Gandhi International Airport has managed to seize more than 2.4 kilogram of gold worth more than Rs.67 lakh from three different passengers.
On Monday, Customs officials intercepted a man who had arrived by an Emirates flight from Dubai and had crossed the customs green channel without declaring any goods.
He was intercepted on suspicion and his baggage was checked. It was found that he was carrying 1.04 kg of gold, worth Rs.27.19 lakh. The smuggled gold was concealed in the amplifier of a transistor.
While the gold was seized and the man has been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, further investigation is on.
On September 27, a person was arrested for concealing 912 gram of gold worth Rs.22.49 lakh in his rectum and a music system. He too had arrived by an Emirates flight from Abu Dhabi and was followed by customs officials from the aerobridge till he crossed the green channel. On detailed examination of his person and baggage, the gold was uncovered.
On the same day, another person, who had arrived from Dubai was found to be carrying 655 gram gold worth Rs.17.61 lakh, which was carefully concealed inside toys in his baggage. Both these people were arrested under the Customs Act.
Customs officials said that while gold smuggling had waned in the previous few years, there has been a spike again recently due high duties. Customs officials deploy various methods to pin down people smuggling in gold, which include profiling of passengers, checking people who have made frequent trips abroad in a short span of time, random checking, information and tip-offs.
“There are several mechanisms to detect such activity which include both random checks some time and also specific information,” said Vinayak Azaad, Additional Commissioner of Customs. “Delhi has the busiest airport in the country and it is humanly impossible to check each passenger passing through the green channel. Despite that, we try to be vigilant always and through various mechanisms of surveillance, we are able to catch them,” Mr. Azaad said.
“Though it is possible that some of them manage to slip away, we are trying our best to intercept as many offenders as we can,” he said.
Customs officials said that while gold smuggling had waned in the previous few years, there has been a spike again recently due high duties.
