Gold seizures up at Chandigarh international airport

Pavneet Singh Chadha

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 30

Despite stringent checks, there has been a spurt in gold seizures at the Chandigarh international airport.

In its biggest haul, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday detained two persons and seized 8.16 kg of gold in 70 gold biscuits, each weighing 116.64 grams, estimated at Rs 2.26 crore. The biscuits were hidden in a handbag and wrapped in plastic taping to avoid detection. A few days ago, on January 24, a Ludhiana-based woman was detained for concealing 146 gm of gold in her purse.

According to sources, eight gold smuggling cases have been reported in the past two months. Customs and intelligence officials said since September 2016, when the airport was connected to international destinations (Dubai, Sharjah and recently Bangkok), a total of 23 kg of gold has been confiscated in 21 seizures, of which four seizures have been made by the DRI. 

Between January 2017-December 2017, customs officials seized over 12 kg of gold at an estimated total value of Rs 3 crore. An official on the condition of anonymity said most of the gold smuggling cases came from Dubai, through unsuspecting and naive youths, called ‘carriers’.

“The price difference of gold in Indian and Dubai markets is the major reason. Smugglers can save up to Rs 3,000 (10 per cent) per tola in the Dubai market, so the potential windfall gain could be Rs 3 lakh per kg by purchasing gold in Dubai.” 

“The racketeers usually lure unemployed youth on the pretext of offering a job in Dubai. They are later used as conduits to smuggle gold,” the official said.

A customs official said the conduits try to smuggle gold from Tier 2 cities like Chandigarh, hoping security would be lax.

Air India started a direct flight to Bangkok in December 2017, but already two attempts of gold smuggling have been foiled. “Dubai is the traditional route, but now we are keeping a vigil on other sensitive routes such as Bangkok,” an official said.

Officials said that ‘carriers’ used unorthodox ways of concealing gold to avoid detection during the baggage check. “We have recovered gold concealed in suitcase linings, coffee mugs, body cavity (rectum), coat buttons, clothes’ seams, moulded in bracelets, and even in appliances (vacuum cleaner). In one case, a passenger had hidden gold underneath the seat,” the official said.  

Recent cases

• January 29, 2018: A total of 8.16 kg of gold in 70 gold biscuits, valued at Rs 2.26 crore,  found hidden in a handbag
• January 24: 146 gm of gold, worth Rs 4.1 lakh, found hidden in purse.
• January 12: 1,059 gm of gold, worth Rs 30 lakh, seized
• January 2: 468 gm of gold biscuits, worth Rs 14 lakh, recovered
• December 23: 175 gm of gold, worth Rs 4 lakh, concealed in rectum
• December 20: 450 gm of gold, worth Rs 12 lakh, recovered 
• December 16: Diamond-studded gold jewellery, worth nearly Rs 5 crore, seized from two Mumbai residents.