Gold smuggling rampant at IGI Airport

Smugglers are using the duty-free shops at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to sneak gold into the country, forcing customs authorities to step up vigil, an official source revealed.

In its effort to check gold smuggling mainly by airlines crew and ground handling staff, the Customs is also considering regulating the aforementioned staffs’ use of mobile phones inside the airport premises. Many such issues were discussed during a recent meeting by officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) with representatives of airlines, immigration, Central Industrial Security Force, Customs and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), official sources said.

The officials also pointed out instances where passengers would hide gold in duty-free shops allegedly with the knowledge of the ground handling staff. Later, the gold would be ferried out of the airport by one of the personnel working there. There has also been a demand to regulate the use of mobile phones by ground handling staff and restrict their access within the airport to check gold smuggling, the sources said.