Family from Gulf caught at Kochi with gold bars

Published Friday, July 26, 2013

By VM Sathish

An Indian family returning from the Gulf after a short visit was nabbed by the Preventive Customs Commission in Nedumbassery International Airport, Kochi, Kerala, with several kilograms of gold bars.

The family members had hid the gold beneath their dresses.

They were caught when the Indian couple from Kannor, Kerala , Rafeeq M (40), wife Shafina M (25) and their two children aged three and five, were passing through the Green Channel, when the Customs officials asked for body check.

News and intelligence reports from India suggest that there is a considerable increase in the amount of gold smuggling through various Indian airports after customs duty on gold import in India was hiked.

The difference in gold price between the Gulf countries and India has widened, prompting gold smugglers to resume the business, which was slow when the gold price was at record level.

According to sources in Kochi Customs, the woman wearing jeans and abaya was hiding two kilogram gold bars in her pocket. The husband was also subjected to body check. He had tied two gold bars of one kilogram each to his shoulders. The couple have been sent to the Economic Crimes Department of Ernakulam.

The family came to the Gulf on a visit visa about a week ago and returned to Kochi in a local airline flight. Customs officials checked the passengers based on intelligence report about plans to smuggle gold. Customs Preventive Sections Additional Commissioner, Sofia M Joy and Customs Deputy Commissioner C Madhavan, revealed the arrest to the media.

The gold bars were wrapped in carbon paper. This is the second major operation in two months nabbing passengers from the Gulf with hidden gold bars. The value of gold seized from such customers is worth Rs30.5 million (Dh1.9 million).

According to Customs officials, the gold bars were supposed to be delivered to unnamed agents who were to contact the carriers after exiting from the airport. Agents have their network in the Gulf countries.

In the last one month, Customs officials have caught 13 kilograms of gold from various passengers at Kochi, one of the busiest international airports in South India.

A week ago, another passenger from the Gulf was arrested after body checks found him hiding two gold bars weighing two kilograms in his socks. The arrested man hailed from Malappuram district of Kerala and was returning from the Gulf after failing to find a job here. According to Customs officials, the people who work as gold carriers are normally people who go to the Gulf in search of a job or those who are returning after losing their jobs or being cheated by recruitment agents.

(Home page image courtesy Shutterstock)

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