Pen refills, gold dust in wax, gold rods in body: Creative smugglers busted

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, July 11, 2024: Attempts to smuggle gold worth crores have landed six Indians who arrived from the Gulf in trouble - despite hiding the metal in the form of dust and even in pen refills.

Three of the passengers had arrived from Sharjah, two from Dubai, and one from Jeddah.

During Customs checking, they were found carrying gold dust in wax and gold chains and rods weighing about 5 kg, which they had concealed in their bodies, clothes, in refills of ball pens, and spectacle boxes. All six of them were arrested.

This was among the 22 cases of attempted smuggling reported at the Mumbai airport between July 1-9. Customs officials have seized over 16 kg gold worth over ₹ 10 crore and foreign currency worth half a crore from passengers during this period.

In another instance reported by the Customs, 13 Indians coming separately from Dubai, Muscat and Sharjah were caught trying to smuggle gold concealed in their inners, luggage, and even between layers of papers.

A foreign national travelling from Sharjah too was found with an undeclared gold chain weighing 260 grams.

Two Indians were stopped from flying to Bangkok with foreign currencies worth over ₹ 48 lakh - pasted between two layers of cardboard pieces in a polythene bag.

Customs officials also found four gold bars - weighing a total of 467 kg and valued at over ₹ 29 lakh - in a pouch under a seat in an IndiGo plane. Thy also found two pouches of gold dust worth over ₹ 2 crore hidden under the life jacket under a passenger seat of an Air India Express aircraft.

Gold is relatively cheaper in the Gulf countries, which makes several fliers resort to smuggling the expensive metal and profit from the difference in prices.