Gold seizures from passengers flying into Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad has become a regular affair now.
Every day, custom officials are recovering some quantity of gold from passengers arriving from different countries. The percentage of those travelling from the Middle East is high perhaps due to the fact that gold is available at a cheaper price in the Gulf.
While officials have managed to apprehend those smuggling the gold from abroad and seizing it, they have not succeeded in probing the links of smugglers with organised gangs. In many cases, officials seize the gold and register cases, yet the trend continues.
A few months ago, an airhostess was held on charges of smuggling 13 kg. of gold but the case could not reach its logical end. In an earlier instance, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials seized another 14 kg. of gold being smuggled into the country. A thorough probe in the smuggling racket seems to be the need of the hour, many say.
Online fraud
At times, it seems like online fraudsters have been completely rooted out since no one falls prey to them for a long time. But, Internet cheats are rising in number and finding new ways of duping gullible customers.
In yet another online fraud, an industrialist from the city lost Rs.2 lakh after transferring the sum to a bank account following an ‘SOS’ email from a friend who is a power project consultant residing in Erragadda.
Someone hacked into the email account of the consultant, who flies abroad now and then for work, and sent mails to all those in his contact list maintaining that he was in urgent need of money. Many of the consultant’s friends know about his frequent foreign trips.
Two days ago, the industrialist got an email from the consultant seeking an urgent transfer of 2,000 Pound Sterling as he claimed to be stuck in London due to some unforeseen circumstances. After communicating with the consultant through email, unaware that the person at the other end was a cheat, the industrialist transferred the sum to the bank account.
Along with the industrialist, many of the consultant’s friends in the list of contacts got similar mails but they were careful not to immediately transfer money. They rang him up only to realise he was in India and it was an attempt to defraud them by hacking the consultant’s email account. Earlier too, this modus operandi has been adopted to dupe unsuspecting persons.
Police say that now even locals have begun using this mode to deceive people. Next time you get a text message or email seeking requests from known persons for a fund transfer, make sure you are not falling prey to online fraudsters.
Reporting by Asif Yar Khan and Marri Ramu
hyderabaddesk@thehindu.co.in
