Smugglers using transit flights to smuggle gold using unwary passengers

Hyderabad: Smugglers are now using transit flights and airline crew to smuggle gold into the country. In a recent case gold was stuck to the seat of a passenger in a transit flight from Dubai to Visakhapatnam. He was caught by customs in Hyderabad but he claimed that he did not know who would pick up the gold bar from him.

Another case had the carrier hide the gold bar in the toilet of the plane. The gold was tied with a string to the flush switch. Sources admit that while several cases of smuggling are being busted investigators are in the dark about the kingpins.

In the latest case a Chennai man named Abdul Qadeer Mohiudeen who was coming from Dubai stuck gold bars worth about Rs 21 lakh to his seat. During interrogation he said that he was paid Rs 10,000 for the job and claimed he had no knowledge at whose behest the smuggling was being done. Mohiudeen said that he was supplied the gold by a man named Rauther in Dubai. He also didn’t know who was supposed to pick up the gold bars. He didn’t have any delivery point.

Customs officials are yet to figure out if there are any weak points in the immigration and customs check of transit flights. Smugglers are also using gangs to ferry gold. In a recent case a Rampur gang used firewood collectors from UP to fly to Dubai from Hyderabad to smuggle gold.

Sources say leads point to one Ajju Bhai but are clueless about who the person is. Instructions are made only by voice or passed by hand. As the smugglers are not stopping despite the seizure of so much gold Customs believe that many are succeeding.

Customs seized nearly 300 kg gold at RGIA this year. Union finance MoS Jayant Sinha said that about 985 kg of gold was seized at Mumbai airport this year.