KOCHI: All that glitters is smuggled gold, or at least most of it is. Gold seizures in Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) touched a record high, as the Customs recovered more than 100 kg of gold within eight months of the current financial year (FY).
As per the data, till November end, 101.07 kg gold worth Rs 27.13 crore was seized from CIAL in the current FY. As many as 294 gold seizures cases have been registered. In the entire 2017-18 FY, 215 gold smuggling cases were detected at CIAL, with 86.9 kg gold worth Rs 23.70 crore recovered.
In the 2016-17 FY, 98 gold smuggling cases were registered at CIAL, with 32.8 kg of gold worth Rs 94.8 lakh seized. The seizures made in 2017-18 FY till November was 45.186 kg gold, worth Rs 11.94 crore from 92 cases registered.
In 2017-18, when 29 persons were arrested for gold smuggling, in the current fiscal 41 persons involved in gold smuggling have already been arrested.
Customs commissioner Sumit Kumar said the higher detection of gold smuggling indicates the enhancement of intelligence gathering methods of gold smuggling rackets and carriers operating in Kerala, and also strengthening of checking and enforcement activities. But when agencies intensify checking, smugglers adopt new methods to beat them.
“We had conducted discussions with aircraft operators, crew and other service providers to sharpen the intelligence gathering system. With our limited number of officers and staff, the enforcement activities have been enforced. We are also coordinating with other agencies,” said Sumit.
A dubious record
The Customs Preventive Commissionerate which has jurisdiction across Kerala (except Ernakulam), Lakshadweep and Mahe is also witnessing an all-time record in the detection of cases in the current FY. As many as 752 smuggling cases were detected in the current FY in which seized goods were worth Rs 44.32 crore and duty involved was Rs 15.41 crore. Last FY, the number of cases detected was 217, in which the value of seizures was Rs 21.47 crore involving a duty of Rs 91.7 lakh.
Seizure of narcotic products
Customs have also detected a rise in the smuggling of narcotics products across Kerala. In the fiscal, 749 cases were registered and value of seizures was worth Rs 15.40 crore. The previous FY pales in comparison, with 211 narcotic seizures registered, worth Rs 1.5 crore.
Hi-tech methods sought
To beat smugglers who are adopting new methods to smuggle gold and other contraband, Customs units are looking to improve the technology used in major ports. Paste-form gold which is very difficult to detect through the scanners is the big problem at present.
“We are adopting the technology used by the military to detect IEDs for scanning paste-form gold. We have approached higher-ups to bring in hi-tech technology such as this to beat smugglers who frequently change their methods,” said Sumit.