4 including Korean national held for smuggling gold

New Delhi: Four people including a Korean national, in two separate cases, were arrested by Customs at IGI airport for smuggling gold in India.

According to customs, based on information, one Korean national who arrived at IGI airport on October 29 from Hong Kong by flight was intercepted by the customs officers of IGI airport after crossing the green channel.

Further customs officers recovered two number of thick circular disks of gold collectively weighing 5,980 grams. Total tariff value of the gold was nearly Rs 2.07 crore.

Additional Commissioner of Customs, Amandeep Singh said that the foreign national stated in his voluntary statement that in his previous eight visits he has smuggled similar amount of gold.

Thus, the total value of offence comes to nearly Rs 18.67 crore. The foreigner was placed under arrest in terms of section 104 of the customs act 1962.

Meanwhile, in another case, three people were nabbed in connection with the smuggling of gold.

Joint Commissioner of Customs Niranjan CC said that based on specific information, the officers of air customs preventive of IGI airport intercepted a passenger arriving from Dubai by flight on October 31.

A detailed personal search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of two transparent packets of brown paste collectively weighing 588 grams suspected to contain gold, which were concealed in the turban worn by the passenger.

"The tariff value of the extracted and seized gold solid works out to Rs 9,82,123. The passenger also admitted to smuggling of gold on two previous occasions, totally valuing to Rs 29.46 lakh.

Further two persons who had come to receive the inbound passenger were apprehended from outside the airport," said Niranjan CC.

All three people were placed under arrest under the provisions of section 104 of the Customs Act.