TIRUCHY: It is not just gold merchants, who are awaiting to cash in on the approaching festival season, but smugglers too, who, eyeing high demand, have started ferrying significant quantities of ornaments. With the Tiruchy division RPF recently foiling two major attempts to transport huge quantities of gold, sources said that carriers are now taking their chances by making use of the rail network to carry out their illegal activities.
Last month, a member of the Bomb Detection Squad in Tiruchy spotted two passengers leaving for Mayiladuthurai by Cholan Express carrying 3.2kg of gold ornaments. As they were unable to produce relevant documents, the RPF informed the Commercial Taxes department officials. Arriving at the Tiruchy station, the tax officials found that the gold was worth Rs 1.5 crore and slapped tax and penalty totalling Rs 9.16 lakh on the passengers.
Following the incident, the RPF increased its vigil. On September 7, its team on board Cholan Express caught two passengers carrying gold ornaments weighing 1.6kg and worth Rs 75 lakh. As they also were not able to produce all relevant documents, the tax officials were informed, who then found the duo had paid tax for only 310.38 grams of the jewellery. A GST of Rs 3,66,232 for the unaccounted quantity of the jewellery was then levied on the duo.
Recalling an incident in February this year when the RPF’s Crime Intelligence Branch apprehended a passenger in Netravati Express at Kozhikode in Kerala for possession of 4.23 kg of gold ornaments, a source said, “Like the case in Tiruchy station, this Netravati Express passenger was also not able to show any receipt of purchase or tax documents. In fact, a majority of these ornaments may be made from smuggled gold. That’s why many of them were not able to produce the relevant documents. So these are not for lawful trade.”
“Crime Detection Special Squad is looking out for such movement, and they are conducting random checks to prevent it,” said RPF’s Senior Divisional Security Commissioner S Ramakrishnan.
Gold weighing 1.6 kg seized
Two passengers on board Cholan Express were carrying 1.6kg gold worth Rs 75 lakh without proper documents. The Commercial Taxes department officials found that duo had paid tax for only 310.38 grams of the jewellery. A GST of Rs 3,66,232 for the unaccounted quantity of jewellery was then levied on the duo