8 kg gold worth over Rs 11 crore seized at Kerala airports in one week

Customs authorities have seized around eight kilograms of smuggled gold valued at more than Rs 11 crore from airports across Kerala over the past week, registering 14 cases and arresting nine people, officials said on Sunday.

According to Customs Commissioner T Tiju, those arrested include six residents of Kerala and three natives of Tamil Nadu. The seizures were made through coordinated operations involving the Customs department, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Kerala Police, with inter-agency cooperation playing a key role in detecting multiple smuggling attempts.

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The Commissioner said the recent cases indicate that organised international gold smuggling syndicates are increasingly adopting sophisticated methods to avoid detection. Smugglers are converting gold into paste or compound forms and concealing it in specially stitched clothing, body cavities, aircraft seats and other unconventional locations, he added.

Tiju said Customs formations across Kerala have stepped up passenger profiling, intelligence collection and coordination with other enforcement agencies to tackle these evolving smuggling techniques.

He reiterated that Customs remains committed to curbing the smuggling of precious metals and safeguarding the country's economic interests. Investigations are underway to identify the organised syndicates and financiers involved in the smuggling operations.

In a separate operation, officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) at Coimbatore International Airport intercepted a passenger on Saturday who had arrived from Sharjah on Air Arabia flight G9410. Examination of the passenger's checked-in baggage resulted in the seizure of 50,000 Esse Change cigarettes, 80 Elfbar vapes valued at Rs 8.76 lakh, and 93 grams of gold paste concealed inside a pair of jeans, according to the Trichy Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate.

(With inputs from PTI)