A Ludhiana resident, who was returning from Dubai, was caught with 1.9-kg gold, valued at ₹59 lakh, at the Chandigarh International Airport here on Wednesday. The passenger identified as Kulwinder Singh, 43, had concealed the gold as mould inside an electric iron.
It is the third incident wherein gold was found concealed inside an electric iron. In July, the authorities had seized 3.2-kg gold — 2-kg and 1.2-kg in separate incidents — concealed in similar appliances.
Moreover, 50 kg gold worth around ₹15 crore has been seized at the Chandigarh airport since operations began here in September 2016.
The man was booked under the Customs Act-1962 and was bailed out soon after interrogation. According to the customs law, a smuggler is produced before the judicial magistrate only if the gold seizure is above ₹1 crore. Otherwise, it is a bailable offence and smugglers face adjudication process at the zonal commissioner level.
Working as carrier?
Sources in the customs department said Kulwinder seems to be working as a carrier for a gold-smuggling gang.
“During questioning, Kulwinder said he had gone to Dubai for work where he was approached to smuggle the gold. But he did not reveal the identity of people who hired him for this job,” said an official.
Why smuggling is rampant
Gold smuggling from the Middle-east is rampant for its high purity and lesser price as compared to India. The price difference can be as high as ₹5 lakh per kg.