Smugglers’ gold rush at airport

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 4

Being a new airport and having direct connectivity with Dubai, Bangkok and Sharjah, the Chandigarh international airport has apparently become a hotspot for gold smuggling, mainly from Dubai.

Recovery of nearly 48-kg gold, worth around Rs 14 crore, by sleuths of the Customs Department and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 42 cases since the start of international flights on September 15, 2016, substantiates the fact.

“On an average, 2 kg of smuggled gold is recovered here every month. However, the number of persons caught smuggling gold in a span of just 24 months indicates that the security arrangements of the Customs and DRI departments are being tested at the new airport,” said a senior government official deputed at the airport.

He added that earlier, the quantity of gold being smuggled was not big. “This year saw some attempts to smuggle the yellow metal in large quantity,” said the official.

Officials at the airport recovered huge quantities of gold in four cases this year. The quantities recovered were 8.164 kg (worth Rs 2.26 crore), 7 kg (Rs 2.1 crore), 3.862 kg (Rs 1.18 crore) and 1.1 kg (worth Rs 35.50 lakh). The huge recoveries indicate that the smugglers have started making big attempts now.

DRI sleuths made max recovery

Of around 48 kg of gold recovered at the airport so far, the DRI had caught 26.360 kg, worth around Rs 7.91 crore, in eight cases. The remaining recoveries were made by Customs sleuths.

Gold seizures half at Amritsar airport

Till July 3 this year, 23.02-kg gold, worth around Rs 6.41 crore, has been seized at the Amritsar airport. The seizure was 5.15 kg, worth Rs 1.47 crore, the previous year.

Accused conduits in most cases

Most persons being nabbed while carrying gold illegally turn out to be conduits. “Mostly, these carriers get an amount between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 apart from some free holidays on foreign soil. Most carriers, who were nabbed at the airport, belong either to Punjab or Delhi,” said an official. 

Preferred source — Dubai

According to sources, smugglers manage to earn a profit of nearly Rs 5 lakh by bringing 1-kg gold from Dubai to India due to the difference in the price of the metal in the two countries. Besides, Dubai gold is also said to be purer than that available in India, claimed the sources.

Unclaimed gold ends up with RBI

According to the rules, those caught with gold above the permissible limit can get it back after paying 36 per cent customs duty and penalty. The gold, which remains with the department, is sent to the RBI after completing the legal procedure under which inspection of the recovered gold is done by a local magistrate. 

20 gm — gold one can bring in

Legally, a person is allowed to bring 20 gram of gold from a foreign country after spending a specified period of stay there. There is a provision for absolute confiscation in case the value of undeclared gold recovered is Rs 20 lakh or more. A passenger found in possession of undeclared gold worth Rs 20 lakh or above can be arrested. Persecution takes place in case the gold seizure is worth Rs 1 crore or above, says a senior official at the airport.

Modus operandi

So far, the authorities have nabbed persons adopting various ways to smuggle gold. They were caught with the yellow metal concealed in electric iron, vacuum cleaner, buttons of readymade clothes, shoes /slippers, rectum and bars of suitcases.