Year 2018 witnessed 58 per cent rise in smuggling cases of Gold at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in National Capital. This year a total of 340 cases of gold smuggling were registered by the Customs department.
According to Anubha Singh, Joint Commissioner of Customs at IGI, Gold worth over Rs 110 crore was seized from smugglers by customs officials at Delhi’s airport in 2018.
“In these, 402.48 kilograms of gold, valuing Rs 113.83 crore, were seized and 262 persons were arrested. In 2017, there were 215 cases of gold smuggling at the Delhi airport. The customs officials seized 242.5 kilograms of the yellow metal in these cases and arrested 143 people,” said she said.
“There were 57 cases of smuggling of foreign currencies during the year 2018, in which forex worth Rs 22.27 crore were seized. A total of 38 persons were arrested in these cases,” said Joint Commissioner
In 35 cases of forex smuggling during 2017, a total of 18 persons were arrested and foreign currencies worth Rs 10.75 crore were seized.
“A comparative analysis reveals that there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of gold smuggling cases booked which resulted in a 65.90 per cent increase in the quantity of smuggled gold seized,” said Singh.
“Similarly, a 62.85 per cent increase in the number of foreign currency cases booked resulted in a 107.05 per cent increase in the value of foreign currency seized,” she said.
“The increase in gold smuggling cases shows that people still consider it as a safe investment option. There is a strong need to deter people’s love for gold,” said a senior customs official.
There was also seizure of narcotics at the Delhi airport in the last year.
“Whereas there were no cocaine seizures during 2017, three foreign nationals were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, during 2018. These cases involved the seizure of 2.35 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs 13.50 crore in the international narcotics market,” said a senior Customs official.