With gold prices rising, Mangaluru airport sees jump in attempts to smuggle gold into country

With gold prices skyrocketing, there has been a steady rise in the seizure of gold, smuggled into the country, at Mangalore International Airport (MIA) since 2017.

A total of 95.12 kg of gold, smuggled by passengers from various Gulf countries, was seized at the airport from 2017 to 2021 (January), according to information obtained under RTI from the office of the deputy/assistant commissioner of Customs at the airport by DH.

In 2017-18, 19.45 kg gold worth Rs 5.84 crore was seized. The contraband gold seized in 2018-19 increased to 41.58 kg, worth Rs 13.02 crore.

In 2019-20, 22.37 kg of gold, worth Rs 8.16 crore, was seized while in 2021-21 (up to January 2021), 11.72-kg gold worth Rs 5.96 crore was seized by the Customs at the Mangalore airport.

Information sought under RTI revealed that gold seized from passengers on international flights for attempted smuggling was disposed of, after following the due procedures laid down as per the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

To a query on the conviction rate in smuggling cases, the competent authority informed that the adjudicating authority decides the case depending upon the facts of each case.

All the cases registered at the airport were outright smuggling cases, the information obtained under RTI revealed.

Custom officials at MIA have been on their toes, foiling ingenious attempts to smuggle gold into the country.

Attempts were made to smuggle gold in various forms — gold foils wrapping chocolate bars and chewing gums; stitching copper-coated gold wires inside embroidered flowers on burqas; concealing cubical pieces and circular plates of gold inside lids of face creams and make-up kits; concealing gold pieces inside electronic devices like hair trimmers, inside the batteries of emergency lights, inside the refills of pens and in sanitary napkins, trolley wheels, toys, etc.

There are also many instances of passengers trying to smuggle gold by concealing it in their rectum.