Kolkata: Gold smuggling through the air route has spread and changed modes of operation after repeated seizures at the Kolkata airport in the last few months. The airport intelligence unit of Kolkata customs, which cracked a network of smugglers on Thursday, feels that smugglers are opting for 'safer' arrangements, like using contract staff at the airport as conduit.
In the last 10 days, the airport intelligence unit of customs has seized gold worth Rs 2 crore. "Most of the consignments were found from passengers in Kolkata-bound flights from Bangkok," said a customs official. The largest of these hauls was on Tuesday, when two persons, from Kamarhati in North 24-Parganas, were trying to sneak out gold bars weighing 2.16kg. The gold bars were kept in a cavity inside rolls of adhesive tapes.
But the network of smugglers involving contract staff at the airport came to light after a utility staffer was detained for trying to smuggle out 3kg of gold. Investigators believe he is part of a larger smuggling network that has been operating at Kolkata airport for a while.
16/01/15 Times of India
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In the last 10 days, the airport intelligence unit of customs has seized gold worth Rs 2 crore. "Most of the consignments were found from passengers in Kolkata-bound flights from Bangkok," said a customs official. The largest of these hauls was on Tuesday, when two persons, from Kamarhati in North 24-Parganas, were trying to sneak out gold bars weighing 2.16kg. The gold bars were kept in a cavity inside rolls of adhesive tapes.
But the network of smugglers involving contract staff at the airport came to light after a utility staffer was detained for trying to smuggle out 3kg of gold. Investigators believe he is part of a larger smuggling network that has been operating at Kolkata airport for a while.
16/01/15 Times of India
