Customs officials busted a gold smuggling racket at RGI Airport, Shamshabad, and seized 5.5 kilograms of gold from two passengers.
Based on specific information, the customs officials discovered that the two passengers had concealed gold in their undergarments in the form of paste. The gold, worth Rs 3 crore, was seized by officials.
The passengers had arrived at RGIA from Dubai. A case has been filed against them, and an investigation is underway.
Recently, the Air Intelligence Unit of Hyderabad Customs apprehended and seized a male passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) who was allegedly smuggling gold into the city from Dubai.
The AIU intercepted the passenger who arrived from Dubai via Bahrain on flight GF-274 in the early hours of Friday based on profiling. He attempted to smuggle the gold as a paste hidden in his sandals.
The gold extracted from the paste, weighing 228 grams, was valued at Rs 11,89,248 and was seized from him. The airport police have filed a report.
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Jobless youth falling victim to gold smuggling mafia in UAE
An organised gold smuggling mafia is targeting unemployed men and women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf countries in order to smuggle gold into India.
Customs officials discovered that jobless people are lured into carrying gold to Indian cities in exchange for small sums of money and air tickets while investigating an international drug smuggling racket with a pan-India angle.
“Agents are hunting for people who have several attempts to get a job and are desperate to return to India. Because of no job they aren’t left with money to buy air tickets. The agents connect such persons to gold smuggling syndicates and pump the gold in different forms through them,” said an official of Hyderabad customs.
They are paid between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 30,000 for a trip, and if caught, the amount is reduced by half. The legalities involved if arrested are handled by the gold syndicates’ local lawyers, according to a police official. They also stated that several agents work for pittances in Gulf countries, identifying people willing to smuggle gold in order to return to India.
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