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In undergarments, rectum, gadgets: Mangaluru Customs shows how gold is smuggled into India

The customs department shared a post on Twitter where it said that a Mangaluru-based passenger was caught with gold valued at Rs 31,73,920. The department said that the passenger smuggled the gold by concealing it in the rectum

Anwesha Madhukalya | February 10, 2021 | Updated 16:21 IST
How is gold smuggled into the countri

From films to real lives, instances of heists and smuggling make for some colourful narratives. But as it is, fact has always inspired fiction. Mangaluru Customs' social media posts show that the outlandish narratives are the mundane in the smuggling world. The customs department has been sharing instances of gold smuggling and how smugglers tend to do it. It must be pointed out that the smugglers have not had a great run as the Mangaluru Customs department appears to have apprehended a lot of them.

Gold smuggling has increased in India over the years due to heavy customs duty of 12.5%. However, the government in its latest Budget decreased the duty to 7.5%, but added an agri cess of 2.5%.

The customs department shared a post on Twitter where it said that a Mangaluru-based passenger was caught with gold valued at Rs 31,73,920. The department said that the passenger smuggled the gold by concealing it in the rectum.

In another case, a passenger from Bhatkal who arrived from Dubai by a SpiceJet flight tried to smuggle 360.58 gm of gold in powder form by hiding it in its rectum. The gold was valued at Rs 18,71,746.

Another time, the custom officers seized 587 gm of gold valued at Rs 29.42 lakh from a passenger from Kasaragod. The passenger who had arrived in an Air India flight from Dubai got the gold in paste form and concealed it in his body.

A passenger from Madikeri who arrived from Dubai in an Air India Express flight smuggled the gold in powder form mixed with solid gum. The Mangaluru Customs department said that the powdered gold was concealed in the body of the passenger. The smuggler had 870 gm of 24 carat gold, valued at Rs 44,19,600.

Mangaluru Customs department posted details of more passengers smuggling gold in powder form and hiding it in their body.

Two passengers from Kasargod were booked by the Mangaluru Customs department for smuggine 2.153 kg of 24 carat gold in total, valued at Rs 1.10 crore. The passengers hid the gold in paste form in their undergarments. The two passengers had arrived from Sharjah by Air India Express flight.

In another case, a person from Kasargod arriving from Dubai by an IndiGo flight tried to smuggle gold in powder form and hide it within a speaker. The gold weighing 349.60 gm was valued at Rs 17,82,960.

A passenger from Bhatkal who arrived from Dubai in a SpiceJet flight tried to smuggle gold in powder form by concealing it in its shirt cuffs. The gold, weighing 257.90 gm was valued at Rs 13,26,120.

Officers caught a passenger from Ullahasnagar trying to smuggle gold worth Rs 5.14 lakh in the form of silver-coated kada or bangle and bead covers of rudraksha mala, while another was caught trying to smuggle 180.93 gm of gold in the form of silver-coated round balls. Another was caught trying to smuggle 99 gm of gold in the form of five rhodium coated buttons of jeans pant. A passenger was caught in Calicut trying to smuggle 80 gm of 24 carat gold in the form of thin sheets hidden inside a laptop. The sheets were caught when the laptop was run under x-ray.

Tags: gold | gold price | gold price in India | gold exports | gold imports | gold smuggling | gold smugglers