Mohali: Gold worth Rs 1.8 crore seized at SBSI Airport

Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 20

It seems smugglers, who stashed gold capsules or paste in the rectum, have become health conscious. Silver-plated gold kadas, gold hidden in credit cards and cigarette packs, and gold paste stashed in underwear are the next best options for them these days.

The Customs officials seized gold worth about Rs 1.8 crore in two cases at the SBSI Airport on November 17.

In the first case, officials recovered one gold biscuit and five gold sheets in the form of credit cards (weighing 1,270 gm) valued at approximately Rs 67.71 lakh.

In the second case, the officials intercepted two passengers, based on Advance Passenger Information System, who had arrived at the airport from Dubai. One of them was carrying three silver-coated gold bracelets (kadas) and two silver-coated gold chains, weighing 750 gm worth 39.98 lakh.

With the Chandigarh-Sharjah flights from the airport having discontinued from October 27, unscrupulous elements have just the Dubai flight to bank on these days.

Phase-7-based jeweller Sarabjit Paras said, "People smuggle gold from Dubai as it is a duty-free port. On an average, a person can save about Rs 3,000 per 10 gm of gold."

In September, the Customs staff had recovered 12 gold biscuits (1,400 gm) worth Rs 83 lakh from two persons arriving from a Dubai-Chandigarh flight. The gold biscuits were being smuggled in a cigarette pack. On December 31, gold worth Rs 1.60 crore was seized from a passenger arriving from Dubai. It was hidden in six rectangular pouches pasted inside the underwear of a passenger.

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