Chennai Police has seized 5.9 kg gold worth Rs 1.8 crore in four simultaneous raids.
A smuggling racket busted in Chennai on Sunday has exposed how genuine travelers were being used to illegally bring gold into India from countries like Dubai and Singapore.
Chennai Police has seized 5.9 kg gold worth Rs 1.8 crore in four simultaneous raids. ''This is just seizure over two days. The real scale of this operation would be massive,'' an officer told NDTV.
The smuggling ring was exposed after officials intercepted a vehicle on NH 32 and after persistent questioning found gold hidden under the front seat, which had been collected from passengers arriving at Tiruchirapalli and Madurai airports, and also in smaller amounts through the Chennai airport.
Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence who exposed the racket said the smugglers had adopted a new technique because regular smugglers and bigger consignments were getting caught.
One person from the smuggling racket would first identify genuine fliers, mostly at smaller airports, and then persuade them to carry items in small quantities in exchange for a commission as low as Rs 5,000. His partner in India would then collect the items and pay the passengers.
The officials in the raid - other than gold jewellery - also seized brand new cutting pliers whose handles were made of gold and covered with rubber sheaths to avoid detection.
''The passengers may think they are doing someone a favour and may not realise the scale of this smuggling racket,'' the official said.
The arrested men were charged under the Customs Act and sent to Puzhal Central Prison.