Rs 262 cr smuggled goods seized at city airport last yr

CHENNAI: Customs officials last year seized smuggled goods worth Rs 262 crore at the Chennai airport and arrested 144 smugglers. The Customs officials are facing challenges in identifying the gold since the smugglers are bringing them in paste form in most of the cases. They point out that despite an increased number of arrests and seizures, the smuggling of gold into the State continues unabated.

Sources said in 2021, Chennai customs seized about 157.75 kg of gold in the Chennai airport which was valued at Rs 70.12 crore. Cases were registered against 234 passengers and 144 of them were arrested. This year, there was an efficient number of women on the list and sources said among the 234 against whom cases were registered, 20 per cent of women. The narcotics seizure also increased in the airport and in the past year, the Customs have seized narcotics worth Rs 181.51 crore. In 41 cases, 12 people were arrested. In foreign currency cases, the customs recovered cash worth Rs 10.42 crore and 36 of them were arrested in 43 cases.

Now for the past few years, the smugglers are not preferring to bring in the gold in ingot or as a gold bar since they would be caught by the Customs during the checkup easily. Now in most cases, the gold is being smuggled in paste form. The smugglers are using orange-tinged nitric acid and hydrochloric acid and making the gold in paste form.

However, sources said identifying the gold in paste form is a challenging task for the Customs officers. The Customs officials feel those who are being caught should be punished severely by the government so that they would fear smuggling the gold and other goods into the country.

Gold seized at Chennai airport in 2021 - 157.75 kg

Value of gold seized in 2021 - Rs 70.12 crore

Passengers against whom cases were registered - 234

Percentage of women who face cases - 20%

Number of passengers arrested for smuggling - 144

NARCOTICS SHARE:-

The worth of narcotics seized last year - Rs 181.51 crore

Number of cases in which arrests were registered - 41

Number of people arrested - 12

FOREIGN CURRENCY:-

Value of foreign currency seized - Rs 10.42 crore

Number of cases registered - 43

Number of people arrested - 36