Customs seize 22 kg of gold in Kochi

The officials seized the gold while it was being transported out of the SEZ-based jewellery-making unit, in order to be sold to local jewellers

Customs department officials on Wednesday seized 22 kg of gold from a Special Economic Zone (SEZ)- based jewellery-making unit here.

The officials seized the gold while it was being transported out of the zone, in order to be sold to local jewellers. The department informed that the gold was imported duty-free in order to make ornaments and to re-export.

Officials have arrested four persons including Sanjay Nigam, managing director of Ashwini Gold, which had imported the gold. The department raided several jewellery shops in Kochi and Thrissur on Wednesday in this regard.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI registered a case against the listed gold exporting and retail company, which has a unit in the SEZ, that it had allegedly diverted the imported gold as jewellery to the domestic market.

Kochi Customs had earlier seized roughly 100 kg of gold, which was sold in Bangalore, and arrested employees of Rajesh Exports Limited, a Bangalore-based manufacturer and exporter of gold jewellery. Last December, I-T officials had raided show rooms of Shubh Jewelers, the retail arm of the company across Karnataka. A non-bailable arrest warrant had been issued by a Kerala court against Prashant J Mehta, managing director of Rajesh Exports in connection with the case, in October, 2013.

Meanwhile, six kg gold was found abandoned at two spots on the premises of Kozhikode International airport on Tuesday morning.

A bag containing two kg of gold was recovered once the passengers arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight left the airport.

After a while, an Air India flight landed and immediately after the passengers leaving the terminal, the officials conducted a search and found a suitcase containing 4 kg of gold near the main elevator.

The Customs officials questioned a few passengers and airport staff in connection with the incidents. The three international airports of Kerala became a major gateway of gold smuggling for the last 18 months. The customs officials had seized roughly 150 Kgs of gold from these airports and arrested several persons, including staff members of leading airlines.

According unofficial sources ten times of the gold seized so far had been smuggled to the state through Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram airports. A major chunk of the gold was sold to the various jewelry chains in and outside the state. There were allegations against a Kozhikode based jewelry chain that they bought smuggled gold. But in most cases the enquiry of both the Customs and DRI was stalled due to unknown reasons.