The seizure of gold being smuggled by air passengers on arrival at the Tiruchi international airport on Wednesday has brought to fore the unabated smuggling of the precious metal through the airport.
The modus operandi adopted in the latest case was to conceal gold inside writ watch cases. The passenger hailing from Chennai, who landed here from Kuala Lumpur by a Malindo Airlines flight OD 221, was detained by the Customs Air Intelligence Unit based on suspicion and profiling.
Thorough check of his belongings and enquiries resulted in the seizure of gold in plate form weighing 690 grams found concealed inside the case of 137 wrist watches. The gold plates were coated with white chrome so as to avoid detection by the Customs officials. The passenger was arrested as the value of the seized gold exceeded ₹20 lakh with the Customs authorities conducting further investigation.
Notwithstanding the vigil mounted at the airport, there seems to be no let up in smuggling of gold resorted to by some air passengers if the slew of detection of such offences and seizures made at frequent intervals are any indication.
According to airport sources, the Customs Air Intelligence Unit had seized more than 10 kilograms of smuggled gold so far in the current month alone. Although smugglers have been adopting different modus operandi to conceal gold, the old technique of concealing gold in the rectum continues.
In a very recent instance, two air passengers from Kuala Lumpur were found concealing gold in paste form and weighing 821 grams in the rectum. Based on passenger profiling, the two were intercepted and gold seized from them. In another case, four passengers of Thondi and S.P. Pattinam in Ramanathapuram district had concealed gold totally weighing a little over one kilogram in rubber material and concealed it in the rectum to avoid detection.
Ingenious ways have been adopted by smugglers. In one such instance, gold was found concealed in the gas pipe of a gas stove brought by a passenger. Gold was also found concealed in the axles of the wheels of stroller suitcases, inside undergarment and in the waist band of trousers.
Airport sources said of late gold being smuggled in paste form has come to light to evade detection in metal detectors. In such cases, the seized paste is cleaned and the gold content is recovered for seizure.
Overseas flights to Kuala Lumpur from Tiruchi is more with services being operated by Air Asia and Malindo Air as compared to other foreign destination every day. Sources said incidents of gold smuggling has been more from Kuala Lumpur than from other destination.
Passengers from whom smuggled gold had been seized were only “carriers” indulging in such shady acts for monetary benefit or commission, says an official. Some of them do it with full knowledge while there have also been instances of some gullible ones carrying belongings containing gold without being aware of it. The consignment is given to them by unknown persons enticing the gullible passengers to hand it over to the receivers and obtain monetary benefit, say the sources.
The smuggling network is well-oiled as the kingpins who operate from behind escape from the long arm of the law. The receivers at the local level make good their escape once they come to know that the “carrier” has been held at the airport, say sources.
