-
Police and Customs officials cannot arrest a person for smuggling gold from abroad if the market value of the seized yellow metal is estimated to be less than Rs 20 lakh
-
Gold is much cheaper in countries like Malaysia and Thailand
than in India and a visitor can purchase any amount of gold from these countries -
Some people deliberately avoid paying Customs duty while bringing gold from abroad as payment of the duty will offset the cost advantage
Bhubaneswar: The incidents of gold smuggling through Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here in recent times have created a lot of buzz among the people. They are eager to know the causes behind frequent seizure of gold from the City airport after it got the ‘international’ tag.
As many as 20 gold smuggling cases through the airport have been reported in the last three months. Customs Department officials have seized at least 19 kg of gold from the smugglers and its market value has been estimated to be around Rs 6 crore, said Customs sources.
Gold carriers have adopted various means to smuggle the yellow metal from countries like Malaysia and Thailand. The methods they have used to conceal gold and hoodwink the Customs are bizarre. For example, some smugglers have thought grinders and rectums are safe places to bring in gold illegally. Some others have used chemical coatings to evade detection or simply carried it in the form of body ornaments.
A few insiders blame loopholes in the Customs law for rampant gold smuggling into the country. It is learnt that police and Customs officials cannot arrest a person for smuggling gold from abroad if the market value of the seized yellow metal is estimated to be less than Rs 20 lakh. However, the officials can initiate legal action against the persons if they are found to be involved in smuggling of gold frequently.
“Most of people caught for illegal transportation of gold at BPIA are first timers. So, we could not initiate legal action against them,” said a Customs official.
As per the rules, any Indian citizen can bring gold from any foreign country after residing there for at least six months. An Indian man can bring up to 20 grams of gold from any foreign country after residing there for a year. Similarly, a woman can bring 40 grams of gold after spending a year abroad. But, anyone who carries gold beyond the prescribed limit has to pay Customs duty.
“Some people deliberately avoid paying Customs duty while bringing gold from abroad. Payment of Customs duty will offset the cost advantage,” said a senior Customs official.
It is learnt that gold is much cheaper in countries like Malaysia and Thailand than in India. Moreover, a visitor can purchase any amount of gold from those countries. So many visitors to the two East Asian countries often prefer to bring gold without informing the Customs officials.
Many experts cite cheap fares offered by a few airlines operating between Bhubaneswar and a few East Asian countries for rise in gold smuggling activities through BPIA. “Airlines like AirAsia are offering low airfare for travellers between Bhubaneswar and countries like Malaysia and Thailand. So, people from other states prefer Bhubaneswar as a transit point. That is why smuggling activities through BPIA have gone up recently,” said Customs Department Assistant Commissioner Sashibhusan.
BPIA Director Suresh Chandra Hota said Customs officials have beefed up surveillance at the airport to track smugglers. “Smugglers often prefer new international airports. But, we have a robust security and surveillance system at BPIA. We have adopted Advanced Technology Information System (ATIS) to keep a tab on travellers,” Hota added.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Deputy Commandant VV Goutam said they thoroughly check people who are travelling from Bhubaneswar to any destination to discourage possession of firearms. “Officials of the Customs and Intelligence department usually frisk people arriving at BPIA from other places,” he said.
Customs sources, meanwhile, claimed that most of the people caught at BPIA with smuggled gold do not have criminal antecedents. “These people might have tried to smuggle gold for getting some extra money,” said Sashibhusan.
However, a person caught with smuggled gold claimed the existence of a few international rackets behind the illegal transport of gold. According to him, members of the rackets usually pursue homebound Indians in Malaysia and Thailand to carry gold illegally. “The smuggled gold is transported to Kolkata from BPIA by road,” he claimed.
Gold worth Rs 31.54L seized at BPIA
Bhubaneswar: In yet another attempt of smuggling gold of foreign origin through Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), the officers of Air Intelligence wing of the Customs have seized gold items valued at Rs 31.54 lakh from two passengers.
Assistant Commissioner of Customs at BPIA Sashi Bhusan said in two separate cases acting on the basis of intelligence and high alertness, the officials Sunday intercepted two passengers and recovered the gold items in the form of chains and “kadas” weighing nearly 1 kg.
He said the two passengers hailing from Delhi and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha arrived from Bangkok and Dubai respectively by Air India flight AI339 and AI007 Sunday.
On search of their body and personal baggage the customs officials found concealed gold items of foreign origin with 99.9 per cent purity.
This would be 4th and 5th seizure by the customs officials at the BPIA during the last 10 days from the passengers arriving here from Bangkok and Dubai, officials said.