Fourteen people arrested for gold smuggling

Fourteen people, including six Chinese nationals, have been arrested by customs officials at the international airport here for allegedly smuggling gold worth about Rs eight crore into the country.

 Some of the accused, including five women, had concealed gold in their rectum, an official said.

The 14 were arrested in five incidents that were reported in the past three days at the airport, said Anubha Sinha, Joint Commissioner (Customs) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

It is one of the biggest seizures made by the customs in recent times, she said.

Giving details of the cases, Sinha said besides the five Chinese, the customs department arrested Iranian and Azerbaijan nationals.

The officials had yesterday intercepted two Chinese nationals after their arrival from Bangkok.

A detailed examination of their baggage and personal search resulted in recovery of six kg of gold. They had concealed gold in the form of bangles worn by them.The gold which is assessed to be worth Rs 1.8 crore has been seized," she said.

In another case, an Iranian national was held after his arrival from Dubai on Tuesday for allegedly trying to smuggle in eight kg gold. He had concealed the gold in especially designed pockets of the jacket worn by him.

On the same day, five Azerbaijan nationals, including three women, were arrested for smuggling in 2.45 kg gold.The accused had concealed the gold in the form of bangles and other jewellery worn by them.

On June 11, four Chinese nationals, including two women, were arrested for illegally carrying six kg gold.

Of the total gold, about five kg was concealed in their rectum by the accused, said Anees Cherkunnath, Deputy Commissioner (Air Intelligence) at the airport.

They were intercepted after their arrival from Hong Kong.

Two Indian men were also arrested on the same day for smuggling in four kg of gold. One of them was intercepted after his arrival from Bangkok. He had concealed three kgs gold in his rectum, Cherkunnath said.

Whereas, the other person was arrested in Amritsar with one kg gold. The accused had either smuggled in gold on his own or got it through his accomplice who had come from abroad, according to customs officials.

They said the flight bound for Amritsar was earlier an international one and the accused must have smuggled the gold through the help of another passenger who had come from abroad.

In all, 26.45 kg gold valued at Rs 7.93 crore has been seized in these cases, Cherkunnath said.

(PTI)