Amritsar: Drill and juicers seized from 6 Dubai returnees yield 10kg gold

AMRITSAR: Over 10 kg of 24 karat gold valued at around Rs 5 crore was seized from six people disembarking from Dubai flights -- four from Punjab and two from Haryana - at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport. They had concealed the yellow metal by moulding it into various shapes and fixing these in various appliances like drill, iron, juicer-mixer and grinder.
Commissioner, customs, Dipak Kumar Gupta said on Friday that five people had arrived in Amritsar on July 16 and the sixth one on July 17 on flights being run under the Vande Bharat Scheme.
Gupta said they were on alert following recovery of gold at various international airports in the recent past and after getting inputs. Their suspicion was strengthened by the suspicious movements of the targeted passengers and a thorough check of their baggage containing the appliances had led to the recovery of gold.
According to sources, preliminary investigations had revealed that the six people who had been detained by customs had been working as labourers and masons in Dubai for past over two to three years and had returned to India after their companies had closed down.
Returning Indians used as couriers
Due to recent spike in gold prices in India, many Dubai-based smugglers are trying to push in gold into the Indian market to make a quick buck and have been using Indians returning home as couriers, sources said, adding that all the 6 detained Indians were to get around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 each for carrying the yellow metal.
Pure gold is around Rs 6 lakh cheaper in Dubai compared to India. At current prices, 24 karat gold costs around Rs 50 lakh per kg in the Indian market whereas in Dubai it’s rate is Rs 44 lakh per kilogramme.
Gupta also said that the total weight of the gold seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, was 10.22 kg and it was approximately worth Rs 5 crore.