TEAM HERALD
PANJIM/VASCO: Goa Customs nabbed a Bhatkal native Friday carrying two kgs of gold worth approximately Rs 61 lakh in the Indian market, as gold smuggling syndicates kept up the barrage of smuggling attempt through Dabolim airport, in the wake of Centre’s restrictions on gold imports.
Two bars, which were cut into six pieces each, were hidden in the hollow portion of a 40-inch LCD television brought by one Mohd Mubuen Jakaku on the Dubai-Bombay-Goa Air Arabia flight. This is the fourth seizure at Dabolim airport in less than 45 days.
On Friday, the air intelligence unit (AIU) at Dabolim airport while screening the LCD TV box brought by the passenger found something suspicious. After checking the box, the officers found some gold biscuit pieces hidden in it and immediately took him into the custody.
Officers said the man has not been placed under arrest as his interrogation is still underway. The value of the seized gold is Rs 60.93 lakh in the Indian market and Rs 52.68 lakh in the international market.
A senior official at Dabolim airport informed that the person returned after five months of service at Dubai.
“Looking at his credentials, it is understood that he cannot purchase such quantity of gold and there is someone behind the smuggling activity,” added the official.
Since January this year till date, the Central agency has foiled 14 gold smuggling attempts by seizing gold valued at around Rs 12 crore. Around 22 persons including Sri Lankan nationals were arrested.
Earlier last month, the Customs sleuths had arrested three persons Mohd Hamza and Mohd Safraz, both from Sri Lanka and Pallikal Ibrahim, a native of Kerala at the airport and seized 4.129 kg gold valued at Rs 1.33 crores. While the Sri Lankan carriers had concealed gold in the rectum, the other had concealed it under his trouser.
This was the biggest seizure and the second followed on September 18 when two Sri Lankans Mohd Zuhar Shike Suleiman and Mohd Riyaz Mohamad Niyaz were caught with 12 gold bars, weighing one kg each, hidden under the plane’s seats. The third seizure was made in August-end with the arrests of two Karwar businessmen who had illegally brought gold, in the form of jewelry to India from Dubai.
The Commissionerate of Central Excise and Customs concedes that Goa is a transit point for smuggling gold into India via Dubai. Goa is connected to Middle East with flights coming from Sharjah, Dubai and Doha. Most of the seizures are detected in Dubai-Goa Air India flights coming either via Mumbai or directly. International passengers from Bangkok also board the flight from Dubai to Goa via Mumbai. Most of these flights fly on Tuesdays. The Commissionerate is also geared to begin shore patrolling from October onwards
