Poor Afghans being lured to smuggle gold?

International smuggling syndicates seem to be using poor Afghan nationals to ferry gold into India, taking a cue from ISI's use of 'savaris' (courier), recent cases indicate.
In one of the biggest seizure in past one year, customs sleuths arrested an Afghan national at Delhi's international airport on Saturday for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth nearly Rs two crore.
On questioning, Zaza Faqir Mohammad, who was caught after crossing 'green channel' along the yellow metal, told the interrogators that he had agreed to smuggle the gold as he had been offered a huge reward in return, customs officials said.

Zaza spoke about his poverty-ridden family back in his country and said that he was left with no other option but to indulge in smuggling to earn money, they said.
He was arrested after his arrival from Dubai here. On being searched, eight gold bars weighing 8 kg and valuing Rs 1.94 crore were recovered, the officials said, adding it was one of the biggest seizures affected in past one year.
In the past, Afghan nationals arrested by the customs department have similar stories to narrate as that of Zaza.

Another Afghanistan national was arrested last month for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold worth about Rs 55 lakh at the airport.

This modus operandi was used by Pakistan's snooping agency ISI earlier to smuggle fake Indian currency notes and drugs through poor people travelling on 'Samjhauta Express', the oldest railway link between India and Pakistan. They were called as 'savaris'.
In this case, the international syndicate sends Afghan nationals to a third country from where they are sent to India.
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 between 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 official data.

Similarly, DRI and customs had registered 503 cases during 2011-12 and seized gold valuing Rs 43.87 crore.