Abhitesh
LUCK NOW The Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport (CCSA) in Lucknow has become a significant transit point for gold smugglers over the past five years. Since 2018, the customs department has apprehended over 100 carriers and seized approximately 225 kg of smuggled yellow metal valued at approximately 120 crores from them.
Airport customs officials seized approximately 56.97 kg of contraband gold in 2018-19, 51.73 kg in 2019-20, 26.62 kg in 2020-21, 47.67 kg in 2021-22, and 52 kg in 2022-23. From January to July of 2023, traffickers were caught with over 30 kilogrammes of gold, according to a customs department official at Lucknow airport.
Prior to the establishment of international flights from Lucknow, the majority of gold smuggling passed through Mumbai. Officials say that after strictness at larger airports such as Mumbai and Delhi, smugglers found smaller airports such as Lucknow and Varanasi more practicable.
Greater amounts of the yellow metal are smuggled from Gulf states because gold prices are substantially lower there.
Gold costs between 45 and 50 crore per kilogramme in Gulf nations. If carried into India legally, 3% GST is added to 7.5% customs duty and 2.5% agriculture infrastructure and development cess, bringing the price per kilogramme to approximately 60 lakh. However, when it is smuggled, traffickers make a net profit of 5 to 7 lakh per kilogramme, according to officials.
The majority of illicit gold originates in Saudi Arabia, Muscat, Dubai, and occasionally Bangkok. Experts estimate that only 10 to 15% of the total amount of gold being transported could be seized.
The mode of operation of smugglers is constantly evolving. A senior customs official stated, “The majority of individuals apprehended with gold are couriers for major traffickers. They are trained before being dispatched with the shipment. The traffickers are intelligent; they are aware that they will only be arrested if they are transporting more than 50 lakh in gold. To avoid detention, the majority of them carry approximately 750 g of gold, which falls under the 50 lakh threshold.”
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The department of customs has compiled a list of “repeat offenders” who are captured smuggling gold into India. A manifest of 107 passengers suspected of smuggling was sent to the regional passport office with the recommendation that their passports be revoked.
