BENGALURU: From being considered a transit route for contraband goods earlier, Bengaluru is fast emerging as a “consumption hub” of contraband gold and banned narcotic and psychotropic substances. In less than a fortnight, between November 12 and 23, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru zone, alone seized more than 12 kg of gold, worth over Rs 6 crore, being smuggled in from Saudi Arabia and the United Arabs Emirates through the air route.
What is unique is that in the three separate cases, in which the Central agency intercepted five carriers and seized smuggled gold, in metal and paste form, all were Indians and of them, four were labourers, who reportedly had no money to return home. They were offered air tickets to Bengaluru and some commission on safe delivery of the consignment by their handlers.
One carrier is a 47-year-old man from Bengaluru, who was found carrying 2.4kg of contraband gold in his backpack and had allegedly ‘used’ his 10-year-old son, who was accompanying him, to escape detection. “He was reportedly smuggling gold for his personal use and was allegedly told that he would escape being frisked because he was with his minor son,” said sources.
According to informed sources, on November 12, the DRI intercepted and arrested a 35-year-old man from Kerala after they seized 40 gold bars weighing 4.64 kg worth Rs 2.79 crore concealed in his hand baggage at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). He had arrived in Bengaluru from Jeddah on Saudi Airlines.
On November 15, the DRI seized 3.7 kg gold stitched in the inner wear of two carriers worth Rs 1.6 crore, from two men aged 35 and 37 years, from Tamil Nadu. They had arrived a KIA from Dubai by the Emirates airline. On November 23, the DRI intercepted two passengers, one of who was travelling with his minor son and was carrying 2.4kg gold in his backpack. The other carrier was a 26-year-old labourer from Dakshina Kannada, who was carrying 1.6kg gold in paste form in his underwear. “The two carriers were unrelated cases and were carrying 4kg of gold worth over Rs 2 crore,” said sources.
In all the cases, barring the Bengaluru-based man, who reportedly smuggled gold for personal use, the carriers are returning labourers. “They were assured safe passage by their handlers and told that someone will receive the consignment from them as soon as they come out of the arrival lounge. The handlers must have shared their photographs and contact numbers with the receivers in Bengaluru,” added the sources.
DRI seizes cocaine worth Rs 60cr
Since April this year, the DRI, Bengaluru, has arrested four contraband drug carriers — three Africans and one Indian — and seized over 6kg of cocaine, worth over Rs 60 crore -- that was allegedly smuggled from Addis Ababa to the city. All four carriers had travelled to Bengaluru by Ethiopian Airlines, and were arrested at KIA under the NDPS Act, 1985.
On April 30, a Nigerian was arrested with 927gm of cocaine. In May, a Liberian national was apprehended with 2kg of cocaine. In June, a carrier from Tamil Nadu was arrested with 2.1kg of cocaine, and in August, a Zambian was held with 1kg of cocaine hidden in children’s books. The arrest of the Indian carrier in June exposed the network of traffickers and peddlers, and led to their arrest from Chennai, Mumbai and Bikaner in Rajasthan. One kg of cocaine in the grey market is around Rs 10 crore.