Kerala, the hub of gold smuggling, is once again in news.
The customs seized 23km of smuggled gold as well as 23 smugglers at the Kozhikode International Airport on Wednesday. The operations, carried out by the DRI and Customs jointly, was termed “Desert Storm.”
The illegal gold was recovered from seven different flights. This is the largest single-day haul of gold in recent times.
The joint team not only arrested the smugglers in Kozhikode but also some persons who had come to receive gold from the passengers.
In recent times, Kerala has become the main hub for gold smugglers. The authorities have seized no less than 233kg of gold in recent times.
The smugglers adopt novel methods to carry illegal gold. Some carry double-layered jeans, belt buckles, wigs and sometimes even mask. A woman carried a gold water bottle for his child.
As per the data in Parliament, Kozhikode airport is second only in terms of illegal gold smuggling. The top dubious honours go to Chennai airport. Kochi is third while Kannur is fourth.
