The seizure of smuggled gold by the Customs Department went up by 45 per cent last year compared to the previous year raising questions that Bengaluru is still a landing point for illegal gold apart from foreign cigarettes.
From April to December in 2014, Bengaluru Customs booked 97 cases and seized 269.54 kg of the metal. “Chennai, Kochi, Tuticorin and a few other ports in south India remain the pivotal points for gold smuggling while Bengaluru is witnessing a rise in the illegal trade in recent times,” said a senior police officer. In 2015, nearly 150 cases were booked.
Biggest seizure
The largest haul of cigarettes was 12,475 cartons worth Rs. 1.36 crore from 21 passengers who arrived from Malaysia and Thailand on January 30.
