Kolkata: A weakening Thai Baht has forced currency smugglers to dramatically alter their modus operandi and take big risks with single carriers rather than using four or five carriers to transport the same amount of money.
The Customs air intelligence unit got wind of the new method after two big seizures at Kolkata airport.
On August 5, Dinesh and Ravishankar Yadav of Howrah were intercepted on their way to Bangkok and USD valued at Rs 2 lakh was found in their baggage. Just four days later, a passenger identified as Rajkumar Balwani was intercepted before he could board a flight to Bangkok. He was found carrying Euro 30,000 and Rs 8 lakh in Indian currency concealed in his check-in luggage, say officers.
Customs realized that smugglers were shrinking the size of their operations. Earlier, if they needed to smuggle $ 20,000 they would break it up among four-five passengers (carriers) because tourists travelling outside the country can carry $ 10,000 per year.
12/08/15 Rohit Khanna/Times of India
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The Customs air intelligence unit got wind of the new method after two big seizures at Kolkata airport.
On August 5, Dinesh and Ravishankar Yadav of Howrah were intercepted on their way to Bangkok and USD valued at Rs 2 lakh was found in their baggage. Just four days later, a passenger identified as Rajkumar Balwani was intercepted before he could board a flight to Bangkok. He was found carrying Euro 30,000 and Rs 8 lakh in Indian currency concealed in his check-in luggage, say officers.
Customs realized that smugglers were shrinking the size of their operations. Earlier, if they needed to smuggle $ 20,000 they would break it up among four-five passengers (carriers) because tourists travelling outside the country can carry $ 10,000 per year.
12/08/15 Rohit Khanna/Times of India
