Two persons were arrested on Wednesday by Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport, Ahmedabad for attempting to smuggle gold into the country. The duo, who were trying to illegally import gold into the country, were nabbed with gold bars weighing 3.2 kg.
“Syed Hussain Ali, a resident of Bangalore, was arrested with gold bar weighing 1 kg while Mir Asker Ali of Chennai was nabbed with 2.2 kg gold bars. They had arrived from Mumbai by an Air India flight. The bars were concealed in the brief in the waist area,” Customs official said.
The total quantity of gold seized was 3.2 kg while its market value is Rs 8.8 million.
The seizure and arrest of two persons on Wednesday comes in the backdrop of arrest of three persons by Customs officials on Tuesday. They had possessed 1.42 kg unaccounted gold worth Rs 3.9 million.
Gold smuggling has been spurred by hike in import duty on the yellow metal, made effective by the previous UPA government in August 2013 and continued by the current NDA government, to contain its surging imports and country’s burgeoning Current Account Deficit (CAD).
