RGIA sees surge in gold smuggling

CASH IN A FLASH

Gulf returnee gives insight into the modus operandi of yellow metal smugglers

Hyderabad: Smuggling at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport continues unabated despite the custom officials nabbing offenders almost every day. Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport foiled two such attempts by the smugglers and nabbed two passengers on Tuesday night. As much as 700 grams of gold bars concealed in the air passengers’ rectum was seized by the officials.

• Air passengers to Hyderabad from Gulf are zeroed in on to carry the gold in a clandestine manner for a cut
• Surgical procedures used on humans to squeeze gold into their bodies
• Innovative smugglers try new tricks to bring gold from Gulf

Three days ago, an air passenger was detained by the Customs officials when he tried to smuggle gold out of the airport, concealing it in his body. As much as 350 grams of gold bars were recovered again from the passenger’s rectum.

In November this year, the task force police of Hyderabad also detained four persons including an airport representative of Westin Hotel for smuggling gold. Within a week of their arrest, a woman from Kadapa was caught for attempting to smuggle gold fastened to her hip. A conversation by The Hans India with a 32-year-old Rahman (Name Changed), who had recently returned to Hyderabad from one of the Arab countries throws interesting insight into the modus operandi.

Sharing his experience, the Gulf returnee said the agents tried to lure him with huge commissions. Rahman said “I booked my ticket to India through a travel agent there. Within hours of booking, I received a call from unknown person, who had shown interest to meet me personally.

When enquired on phone, he told that I have to take some goods to India, which would be collected by his friends and they will pay him some money.” On the same day, the unknown person met and asked Rahman to take some gold to India and promised to pay 15 per cent commission on the amount of gold carried by Rahman. I was astonished why they would give huge commission. Then he told me that I have to work as a carrier for them and commission will be given only if the gold is successfully smuggled out of the concerned airport, Rahman said.

Rahman said firstly, the air passenger should not reveal about the date of departure to his family members and nobody should come to pick him at the airport. They conduct mock questioning session for the passenger to learn about his confidence levels and then confirm him as the prospective ‘carrier’,” he said. Before three to four hours of departure, the agents take the carrier to a clinic where gold will be inserted into the carrier’s body after giving pills to clean stomach.

Doctors exclusively hired for this purpose will either perform a surgery to enlarge the rectum or do it manually. Then the gold sealed in a rubber like material dipped in lubricants and is inserted into carrier’s body and it will be sealed with bio-gum, mostly used in grafting of plants. Once the carrier arrives at the concerned airport, the carrier will be received by the local agent of the gang who would already be ready with a taxi, hired by the gang exclusively.

The taxi drivers are instructed to maintain a specified speed basing on the weight of gold inserted in the carrier’s body to avoid complications and taken him to clinic, where gold extraction from carriers is done by the doctors, Rahman said. Alerted by the rise of smuggling cases in the recent times, the Customs officials also said that they are probing in all the possible ways to nab the receivers of the smuggled metal and bust the racket.

By Jayendra Chaithanya T