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Man lands from Dubai with 41-tola gold in rectum
The man has been taken into custody for interrogation and will be prosecuted later as per the Customs Act, which involves hefty penalty and other penal action, said an official.
In a first of its kind of crime reported at the Chandigarh international airport, a man hailing from Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra was caught on Monday smuggling 407 grams of 24-carat gold, concealed in his rectum.
The accused, Deepak Kumar, had arrived here from Dubai in an Indigo flight in the morning. He was nabbed by the local office of director revenue intelligence (DRI) and the customs staff.
The market value of the gold seized is Rs 11 lakh.
How was he caught
The DRI officials had received a tip-off from the central team in Delhi. Deepak was apprehended while he was leaving the airport.
Earlier, he denied the charge. He even refused to take tea or coffee offered by the officials.
Finally, he gave in and confessed. He was taken to a washroom, where the gold was retrieved from his rectum. The preliminary probe revealed that Deepak was acting as a courier of a gang of smugglers. The DRI officials are now trying to identify them.
Deepak has been taken into custody for interrogation and will be prosecuted later as per the Customs Act, which involves hefty penalty and other penal action, said an official.
‘City soft target’
Although such cases have been reported at other international airports, this is first such case in Chandigarh.
However, smugglers have tried other means to outwit the officials, including concealing gold as buttons of children’s garments or concealing it inside the suitcase’s steel structure. One of the smugglers was also caught holding gold under his tongue.
DRI officials said smugglers are using the Chandigarh airport as security is much stronger at the Delhi airport.
In all, five cases of smuggling have been reported since
the launch of international flights here on September 15 last year.
The biggest seizure so far was that of 1.3-kg gold worth about Rs 37 lakh earlier this year.
Why is gold smuggled from Dubai?
Gold from Dubai is more pure and has higher market value in Indian market. The price difference is as high as 15-20%.
