A safe road to smuggle gold from B'luru to Kerala

Mysuru-Bilikere-Kutta stretch is the most preferred route for smugglers, says SP Abhinav Khare.

In a span of one year, three cases involving Kerala traders, who were robbed of huge cash in transit, have been reported in Mysuru district. While the cases came to light due to alert police personnel, there could be some cases that go unnoticed, thanks to the nexus between the smugglers and kingpins.

Answering queries from media persons, Superintendent of Police  Abhinav Khare suspected that “of late Mysuru may have emerged as a safe route to smuggle goods to evade tax. Gold merchants smuggle the yellow metal from Bengaluru to Kerala via Mysuru, Bilikere, Kutta during night hours. Whenever the police personnel receive information, action is being initiated and it is evident with three cases solved in the recent past.”

When media persons sought to know if it is possible to intercept and inspect the vehicles on the stretch on a regular basis, the SP expressed helplessness. He  said it may trigger another issue, as the men in khaki cannot frisk the occupants inside the vehicles without any authentic information.

Police alert

However, the SP claimed, the police personnel are alert and keep track of such cases and are getting to the bottom of it, irrespective of time frame. So, there is a decrease in such illegal transits, he added.

He denied that hawala money was transported to Kerala on a regular basis.

He did not rule out the chances of transportation of ill-gotten wealth between Kerala and other cities and vice-versa.

The Superintendent of Police revealed an interesting part of such ‘illegal transits’.

Both the transporters and the kingpins will be well aware of the money on move and enter into a pact. It is only when something goes awry, the transporter(s) leak the information to others, fully aware that the chances of (kingpins) approaching the police is meagre, when the ill-gotten wealth is stolen by others, the SP added.

As the god’s own country can be reached from Mysuru side through different routes, those involved in the nefarious activities, have found the Kutta route easy. Whenever the border police officials meet, the Mysuru district police have apprised their counterparts in Kerala, especially SP of Wayanad, about such illegal activities, he said. 

If need arises, the office of DG&IG of Police in Bengaluru will be apprised (about the matter), the uperintendent of Police said.