Pune: Customs and SpiceJet authorities are concerned over how gold smugglers are targeting a flight from Dubai to Pune, from where it takes off on the domestic route.
Eight gold biscuits were recovered on November 11 from the life jacket under a seat of SpiceJet's Dubai-Pune flight (SG-52) after it landed here. The value of the recovered biscuits was about Rs 29 lakh. Customs and SpiceJet officials fear that the smugglers take advantage of the flight operating on the domestic route from Pune.
"It generally flies to Bengaluru from Pune. Other international flights reaching Pune operate on international routes only. The smugglers, it seems, had carefully chosen the flight to bring in gold or other banned substance into the country," a customs officer said.
"We suspect that a a member of the gang brings in gold from Dubai. The person then hides the gold somewhere in the aircraft and messages his or her accomplice about its exact spot. The accomplice then boards the flight to a domestic location, mostly Bengaluru. The person gets into the flight, locates and collects the gold," the officer said, adding that gold hauls from the flight were not happening for a year.
A senior SpiceJet officer said, " In Dubai, one can buy any amount of gold and bring it to India. But our system is made in such a way that it is difficult to penetrate. The selection of seats is also done carefully."
15/11/17 Joy Sengupta/Times of India
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Eight gold biscuits were recovered on November 11 from the life jacket under a seat of SpiceJet's Dubai-Pune flight (SG-52) after it landed here. The value of the recovered biscuits was about Rs 29 lakh. Customs and SpiceJet officials fear that the smugglers take advantage of the flight operating on the domestic route from Pune.
"It generally flies to Bengaluru from Pune. Other international flights reaching Pune operate on international routes only. The smugglers, it seems, had carefully chosen the flight to bring in gold or other banned substance into the country," a customs officer said.
"We suspect that a a member of the gang brings in gold from Dubai. The person then hides the gold somewhere in the aircraft and messages his or her accomplice about its exact spot. The accomplice then boards the flight to a domestic location, mostly Bengaluru. The person gets into the flight, locates and collects the gold," the officer said, adding that gold hauls from the flight were not happening for a year.
A senior SpiceJet officer said, " In Dubai, one can buy any amount of gold and bring it to India. But our system is made in such a way that it is difficult to penetrate. The selection of seats is also done carefully."
15/11/17 Joy Sengupta/Times of India
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