THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stung by the rising incidents of gold being smuggled into the state through the porous sea and land routes, the Customs Department has decided to deploy drones to keep an eye on fishing vessels and other activities taking place on sea. The Customs has over 600 drones or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in its possession - chiefly seized from passengers who imported them unaware of the rules that prohibited it.
Commissioner of Customs Sumit Kumar told TNIE the smuggling of gold into the state is mainly through sea and land routes when compared to the air route as it has certain limitations to bring in large quantities. It is estimated that 200 tonnes of gold are smuggled into the country annually and about 30 to 40 per cent of them are suspected to be reaching Kerala. So, Customs officials have certain limitations to check the smuggling through land and sea routes.
For instance, Kerala has a vast coastline and though the Navy and Coastguard keep surveillance on merchant vessels, there is no systematic mechanism to keep a tab on fishing vessels. In this backdrop, the Customs authorities have decided to make use of drones in their possession. “We got approval for deploying these drones after formal training. It would help us to engage in maritime reconnaissance without approaching other agencies,” he said. It assumes significance considering the fact that Sri Lanka is the favourite destination of smugglers where customs duty for gold is nil. So, they can bring the gold to the state in large quantities through the sea route, which is a major concern, he added.
Further, the Customs Department is looking at ways to enhance its technical competence to take on new-age challenges posed by smugglers. “We have already received 89 satellite phones to replace the old wireless devices. Smugglers are very intelligent and the use of dark net has increased in recent times. They have discovered that its anonymity makes it ideal for illicit dealings. So, the Customs Department is looking for a makeover in tune with the changing times by upgrading its technological competence.
Full-body scanners soon
Soon, full-body scanners will be deployed in airports in the state once the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) approval is received. It will replace age-old walking-through metal detectors.
Gold smuggling
It is estimated that 200 tonnes of gold is smuggled into the country annually and about 30 to 40 per cent of it is expected to reach Kerala
