CHENNAI: While airport customs usually seize gold and other contraband from the arrivals area of international airports, Chennai officers busted a gold smuggling operation last week in the departure region involving a gap between glass panels inside the executive lounge.
According to sources, on Wednesday, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Chennai international airport spotted a small package being dropped from the executive lounge one floor above, overlooking the check-in area, and a passenger catching it discreetly. The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers were promptly alerted and began a probe into the matter.
The setup
The AIU’s investigation revealed an elaborate gold smuggling operation, which allegedly involved a gang of five: three departing passengers, one transit passenger, a receiver outside the airport, and most importantly, the gap between a glass pane and the adjacent wall inside the lounge.
The three departing passengers had booked tickets on an Air India flight from Chennai to Colombo, Sri Lanka. One of them checked in early and made his way to the toilets near the executive lounge.
Passing the baton
The transit passenger (Person 1) who was holding a package containing 550gm of 24 carat gold paste worth about `35 lakh, passed it off to Person 2 waiting near the toilets, sources said. Person 2 then walked into the executive lounge.
Another passenger (Person 3) near the check-in counter discreetly caught the package dropped by Person 2 from the ‘gap’ in the lounge wall, sources said, adding that he then casually slipped it in his shoe.
Person 3 then carried on with his check-in, where he got flagged for having excess baggage, as per plan. Sources said, under the guise of getting rid of extra bags, he exited the airport and handed off the package to the receiver, Person 4.
All the while, the fifth passenger, Person 5, stayed in the check-in area to keep watch and raise an alarm in case any security personnel got wind of the operation, sources added.
The entire series of handoffs happened in a span of a few minutes, they said.
Police action
All three departing passengers and the receiver were apprehended by customs. However, the transit passenger couldn’t be traced. The gold paste was seized under the Customs Act.
Apart from the gap-in-the-wall, the gang of smugglers relied on two other points: Firstly, security is much tighter in the arrival area, while the departure region is relatively unmonitored with only two officers stationed, according to sources. Secondly, there are no restrictions on the amount of gold that passengers departing from India can carry; in this case if Person 3 got caught, he could claim that he was going to declare it, sources added.
In this particular case, catching the receiver is what helped customs officials bust the operation, sources said, adding that all agencies have been asked to maintain vigil following this incident.
Airport contract staff held for smuggling
Chennai: Customs officials at Chennai international airport on Monday arrested a contract staff, Manikandan (28), who worked at an eatery for allegedly trying to smuggle 1kg of gold paste worth Rs 62 lakh after getting it from a passenger from Dubai who instructed him to hand it over to a receiver outside. Manikandan allegedly tried to take it in a flask, saying that it had coffee. Further probe is underway. In another case on Monday, a passenger from Muscat carrying 2kg gold paste (worth Rs 8 lakh) in his underwear was arrested, and the gold was seized.
