Gold seized from trolleys, toys, ovens at Delhi Airport
Customs officials at Delhi Airport apprehended alleged smugglers attempting to conceal 5 kg of gold worth approximately ?1.4 crore in microwave ovens, trolleys, toys, wafers and confectionery boxes this week. However, officials added that gold smuggling has decreased since demonetisation. Customs officials seized 240 kg of gold in the 2016-17 fiscal, which was 190 kg less than in 2015-16.
With security becoming stricter by the day at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), international criminals are adopting innovative ways to smuggle gold into the country. Custom officials recently busted separate gangs of smugglers who were illegally transporting gold concealed in microwave ovens, toys, wafers and confectionery boxes. This week, officials seized five kilograms of gold in different forms in separate cases worth approximately Rs 1.4 crore. Officials claim two of the smugglers were arrested for illegal transport at the airport. They added that they also seized around a kilogram of gold (996 gm), which was being smuggled as gold foils concealed inside a carton and packing boxes of wafers, confectionery items and toys. GOLD HIDDEN IN METAL BAR OF TROLLEY"The gold foil was so thin and was concealed in such a way that it was difficult to detect it in the X-ray scanning machines," said a senior custom officer, adding that a 50-year-old passenger from Dubai was arrested. In another case, smugglers had concealed 1.4 kg gold inside the coil of a microwave oven. "It is hard to check electronic items as they contain main metal objects," the officer said. Over 465 grams of gold was also seized from a passenger coming from Muscat. The gold was hidden in the metal bar of a luggage trolley. According to officials, gold smuggling at the airport has taken a major hit due to demonetisation. Customs officials seized about 240 kg of the yellow metal in 2016-17 fiscal, 190 kg less than the seizure effected in 2015-16. Nearly 355 cases of gold smuggling were reported at the IGIA during the financial year 2015-2016. In these cases, the customs authorities seized 450 kg of gold, valued at a whopping Rs 132 crore (as per prevailing market rates), a senior customs official had said. As a result, about 240 cases of gold smuggling were reported in 2016-17 fiscal. About 260 kg of gold (as against 450 kg seizure in the previous financial year), valued at `76.31 crore (as per the current market rate), was seized by customs officials at the Delhi airport, he said.