2 arrested for smuggling gold worth Rs 6 cr

In a big haul, two people were arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold worth about Rs 6 crore at the international airport here.
The passengers, identified as Mohammed Quamruzzama and Gulab Anwar, were intercepted by customs officials here after their arrival from Dubai yesterday.
"Both of them did not declare the gold brought by them in Indian customs declaration slip. During search 21.7 kgs of gold worth Rs 5.86 crore was recovered," said Arun Kumar, Commissioner, Customs at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.
The gold was seized and the passengers were arrested. "It is the biggest seizure made at Delhi airport. Both the accused are close relatives," he claimed.

On April 3, a married couple was arrested for smuggling in gold valuing about Rs 42 lakh. The next day, an Afghanistan national was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country the yellow metal valuing about Rs two crore.
Another man was arrested on April 12 for allegedly trying to bring into the country gold valuing about Rs 24 lakh. "Our officers are maintaining strict vigil at the airport. As a result, gold smugglers are being caught," Kumar said.
Gold smuggling has been on rise in the country in the past four years, according to the cases registered by both the customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the lead agency to check smuggling.

A total of 3,412 cases were registered in 2014-15 fiscal (till January) in which gold worth Rs 931.55 crore was seized. In 2013-14, 2,450 cases were detected and during 2012-13 900. The value of gold being smuggled in was Rs 686.99 crore and Rs 104.62 crore respectively, according to an official data.