Gold Smuggling On The Rise, Despite Intensified Vigil

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The gold smuggling activity at airports has witnessed significant surge during recent times, despite increased vigil and intensified checking by law enforcement agencies.

In the latest incident, two passengers from Dubai were caught while trying to smuggle approximately 2.57 kilograms of gold through Calicut International Airport in the state of Kerala. The alleged smugglers reached the airport on separate flights from Dubai.

One of the two carriers was arrested by the police while attempting to smuggle around 1.57 kilograms of gold bars hidden inside a microwave oven. The gold was concealed in an inner compartment, which the police had to break open using a metal cutter. The second passenger was caught hiding two capsules each of gold from each of his shoes.

The Customs officials said that gold smuggling, especially from Gulf Arabian countries, has become quite rampant nowadays. According to senior airport officials, it is hard to find a Dubai flight without at least one carrier of smuggled gold. Meantime, Customs officials admitted that there is a severe shortage of staff as well as lack of modern equipment, which in a way often helps smugglers to escape from being caught.

As per rough estimates, only around 10% of the total gold smuggled through airports are seized by Customs and DRI authorities.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

BSF Seized Gold Smuggled Through Border

Customs Seized 3,000 Kg of Smuggled Gold, Mostly From Airports