Indian Customs ushers in new tactics to grab gold smugglers

NEW DELHI (Scrap Monster): According to Indian Customs Department officials, the recent strategy adopted by them at Mumbai International Airport has yielded positive results. The customs officers who travelled as normal passengers on specific flights were successful in uncovering a handful of gold smuggling attempts. The officers have foiled several such attempts by smugglers in international flights that proceed on domestic legs.

According to A P Suri, Commissioner, Airport Customs at Mumbai International Airport, they had entered into an arrangement with airlines on seat allocation to passengers. As per the arrangement, seats occupied by international fliers were not allotted to domestic passengers. Moreover, the domestic passengers were allotted seats in a particular area of the flight, so that the customs official in civilian clothes could easily monitor them.

The latest tactic by the Customs authorities has led to arrest of suspects travelling by Air India AI 191 flight to Ahmedabad, Air India AI 050 flight to Hyderabad and the inbound Jet Airways flight 9W-75 from Hong Kong. Officials had caught passengers while trying to retrieve the smuggled gold hidden under seats and inside toilet bins.

Meanwhile authorities warned that gold smuggling attempts are likely to see big jump ahead of the upcoming festive season. Normally, gold demand in India jumps by 25% during festive season. A section of the jewelers in unorganized sector deals with smuggled gold to reap higher margin on sales. In the latest of the arrests pertaining to gold smuggling, customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi have detained four women passengers for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth over Rs 3.5 crores.

In an attempt to curb shipment of illegal gold into the country, the officials have stepped up security checks and vigilance mechanisms in airports.