Gold smuggling: More than 11,000 kg gold worth Rs 3,122 crore seized over five years across Indian airports

More than 11,000 kilogram of gold worth Rs 3,122.8 crore has been seized by authorities in 16,555 gold smuggling cases reported across various Indian airports over the last five years ending August 2020, data shared by the government to the Parliament in September 2020, shows. 

The year 2018-19, reported a 67% increase in the number of (4,855) cases detected over 2017-18 (2,911 cases). During the year 2018-19 and 2019-20, more than 4,000 cases each were reported, indicating a rise in gold smuggling cases compared to previous years. 

Gold worth Rs 858 crore was seized across airports in the year 2019-20, the most in five years, data shows.

Over the last five years, 8,401 people have been booked in connection with smuggling of gold cases reported across Indian airports. 

On October 26, 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Rabins K. Hameed, a fugitive involved in the Kerala gold smuggling case. He was arrested at the Kochi International Airport on his arrival from Dubai, the NIA release said. 

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— NIA India (@NIA_India) October 26, 2020

The Kerala gold smuggling case pertains to the seizure of gold consignment - 30 kg of 24 karat gold - in a diplomatic bag worth Rs 14.8 crores at Trivandrum International Airport on July 5, 2020, by custom officials.

The reply to the Parliament says that three of the top 10 airports in India listed by the government, where maximum quantity of gold has been seized over the last three years, are from Kerala.