Amid concerns of a rising outflow of foreign currencies in huge volumes through the international airport here, the Customs sleuths here on Tuesday foiled an attempt to smuggle US dollars and seized dollars to the tune of ₹73.85 lakh from a Bahrain-bound passenger.
The accused, Hashim Palathingal Basheer, a native of Muvattupuzha, had reached the airport here to board a Gulf Air flight to Bahrain in the morning.
During baggage checking, officials found the bills concealed in the lining of his bag. The cash recovered included ten 50 dollar bills and 1,008 100 dollar bills.
During interrogation, the passenger confessed to carrying the cash for money and based on his statement, searches were conducted at a few locations.
Sleuths are also inquiring about the forex agencies through which such a huge amount of foreign currencies could be obtained.
Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said the cash seized were essentially part of a money-laundering operation involving gold smuggling rackets. Whenever the hawala rate of exchange goes above the rate offered by banks, the smuggling of foreign currency goes up, fuelling other illegitimate businesses, including gold smuggling.
“Given that India is the largest market for gold, both legal and illegal, these seizures could only be the tip of the iceberg as the actual amount being sent through this route could be several times higher,” the Commissioner said.
In view of the rising number of cases, the department has heightened surveillance over passengers bound for sensitive places such as Dubai, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
Gold seized
Despite several crackdowns, illegal bullion continues to flow through the airport here with the officials impounding 10 gold bars totally weighing 1,166 gm valued at ₹33.14 lakh, in addition to 2,064 gm of thick brown coloured paste on Tuesday.
The gold bars were recovered from the toilet of an aircraft from Dubai.