KOCHI: Gold seizures continue to break new records in the state with Customs seizing over 100 kg of gold at airports in the first three months of the fiscal year.
As per Customs data, over 85.7 kg of gold alone was recovered from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur airports, monitored by the Commissionerate of Customs (Preventive), between April 1 and June 27.
As many as 140 cases have been registered across the three airports. Around 20 kg of gold has been seized from CIAL till now and 40 cases have been registered. Around 56.6 kg of gold was seized from Kozhikode airport in 110 cases. In the last fiscal, 417 kg of gold was seized from four airports across the state with 1,102 cases being registered.
“Compared to the same quarter in the previous fiscal, the number of cases has come down, but the quantity of gold seized has gone up this year. The gold seized by various customs formations in the last fiscal year alone has recorded a 400 per cent growth in Kerala. If the current gold seizure trend continues in the following quarters, the quantity of gold recovered will surpass the previous year’s record,” Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said.
The seizures were made with limited manpower Customs has across airports. “Our formations in Kerala airports are facing severe staff shortage. Officers have to work round-the-clock. In Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, officers work in small batches. The newly inaugurated Kannur airport is also facing staff shortage and most officers are inexperienced in airport duties. Despite all this, Customs in Kerala makes the highest seizures in India,” said another officer.