Customs get vital clues to gold smuggling

Emirates airhostess who was used a conduit spills the beans

Two businessmen, including one from the city, in the racket

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad has turned a hub for gold smuggling activities. Though the customs officials have been nabbing the perpetrators, the masterminds behind the racket are yet to be apprehended.

According to sources in the customs department, “New leads are found in the case and the officials believe that two city-based businessmen are running the racket.”

The customs officials are now concentrating on securing evidences and they believe that the racket is close to the tune of 50 kg per month, wherein gold is smuggled from Dubai and sold to local jewellers.

Hyderabad-Dubai hawala network

According to sources, customs officials have got clear lead that a realtor in the city and a businessman, who is into garments, are running the racket. They have established links with the jewellers in Dubai and are running the show.

Money is transferred to the jewellers via hawala networks and gold is smuggled in the form of biscuits, jewellery, wires, coins, powder, etc. The customs officials suspect that the masterminds have trained a gang in smuggling the gold and the gang has been largely successful, barring a couple of minor incidents.

Reports with the customs say that two teams operate the racket, one team specialises in transporting gold from Dubai to RGIA , while it is the responsibility of the other team to hoodwink the customs and get the gold out of airport.

Apparently, it is believed that money has exchanged many hands and a few officials in the airport are hand in glove with these gangs.

Earlier it was believed that a few jewellers were resorting to these methods so as to escape from taxes. There is a profit of Rs 5 lakh per kg for the operators in the entire rundown. A kilogram of gold in the city costs Rs 20 lakh while in Dubai it costs Rs 13-15 lakh. The smugglers are selling the same to the jewellers in the city for Rs 17-18 lakh pocketing Rs 5 lakh per kg. The jewellers aren’t complaining because they are getting quality gold at a lesser price.

Customs officials hit the jackpot when they arrested Sadaf khan, an airhostess with Emirates Airlines. Upon interrogation they found that Mumbai-based Shujat Ali and city based Raju Bhai are running the racket.

Further investigation revealed that the two city-based businessmen are behind the entire racket and it is believed that the customs officials have the primary evidence in this regard. They are currently monitoring the movements of these businessmen. However, the officials aren’t keen to divulge the names of the masterminds.