Liquor the most imported item at Kerala airports

Thiruvananthapuram: Gone are the days when non-resident Keralites returned home with a bagful of goodies, most notably electronic gadgets. Today, that is passe. The only article that continues to be brought in - and in an increased flow - is liquor, ranging from the expensive scotch to the inexpensive rum.
Thanks to the latest amended rules, people arriving aboard an international flight can bring along two litres of “spirits”.
“India and Sri Lanka are the only two countries where an international passenger can bring in two litres,” said Mohan Kumar, a senior customs official at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. Elsewhere, passengers are allowed only a litre.
Kerala has more than two million Keralites working abroad, 90 percent of them in West Asia.
The state has three international airports, and on an average about 4000 passengers arrive daily. Of these, close to 90 percent are Keralites returning to their home state. Said a customs official who has served at Kerala’s all three international airports: “The rules are very clear, and it states that for every passport, irrespective of the age, one can bring in two litres of spirits. There are only a handful who do not arrive with liquor. So calculate for yourself the amount of liquor that arrives every day at the airports in Kerala.”
15/06/08 IANS/Thaindian.com, Thailand

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Categories: Airports Jun 2008, Foreign Jun 2008