150 held at Delhi airport for smuggling gold worth `63 crore in April-Sept

New Delhi: According to the customs latest data, 150 persons including the foreign nationals were arrested during April to September this year at IGI airport for smuggling gold into the country.

The customs data accessed by Millennium Post shows as many as 188 cases related to gold smuggling were registered from April to September this year in which 92 Indians and 58 foreign nationals were arrested. "Around 208.48 kilograms of gold worth more than Rs 63 crore was seized," data revealed.

During the same period last year, 210 cases were registered in which 120 Indians and 61 foreigners were arrested. "Nearly 260 kilograms of gold worth Rs 74 crore were recovered from the smugglers," the data revealed.

To dodge security agencies and bypass high import tax, smugglers are coming up with more creative ideas to smuggle gold. They would often do it by concealing the gold inside trolley bag wheels or in a paste form (which closely resembles human excreta).

The customs at IGI airport had recently foiled several such modus operandi where gold was smuggled in the country through hiding it inside clothes, thick circular disks, and footwear.

According to officials, smuggling syndicates lure economically weak Indians to work as carriers who would sneak gold into the country and also avoid suspicion of security agencies. The recruitment of carriers is done by Indian syndicates. "The carriers are told to collect a parcel, without being told about the content, from a person in a foreign country and later hand over the same to another unknown person waiting at the airport in India. The carrier remains unaware of the final destination of parcel," said the officials.

Last month, a man was arrested at Terminal 1D, IGI airport for allegedly possessing five gold bars of foreign origin. The person, who landed at IGI from Chandigarh, had kept the gold bars in his baggage. The gold was handed over to him at the smoking area of Chandigarh airport by a person who had come from Dubai. The same aircraft was further bound to Delhi.

Adding further the smugglers choose those countries that sell the cheapest gold and also close to India with low airfare. "Smugglers prefer Gulf countries as gold are cheaper there and these countries are nearer which saves time," said the official.

However, customs officials have also noticed that smugglers are now shifting their focus to Bangkok, Japan, Korea. Recently in August, one Korean national was arrested with 5.5 kg of gold at IGI airport.

Deputy Commissioner of customs Kalrav Mishra told Millennium Post that they keep an eye on every suspicious movement at the airport. "Our tight vigil has resulted in the arrest of several smugglers at IGI airport. Our constant endeavour is to maintain a robust anti-smuggling posture and high deterrence levels," said Kalrav Mishra.

Meanwhile in another case reported in October a person was arrested at Terminal 1D at IGI airport for possessing two cut pieces of gold bars weighing 1,000 grams worth over Rs 34 lakh. The person, who landed at IGI from Chandigarh, had kept the gold bars in the pocket of his trousers which he was wearing. According to the Customs, the gold was hidden in the toilet of the aircraft by a person who had come from Dubai to Chandigarh. The same aircraft

was further bound to Delhi from Chandigarh and the person was instructed to

collect the gold bars from the toilet.