Smugglers are employing new modus operandi like travelling with infants and using fake purchase bills to smuggle gold at Delhi airport, customs officials said today.
The customs recently arrested three persons in two separate cases for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold using fake bills and by travelling with infants to avoid suspicion.
In the first case, a man was intercepted by the customs after his arrival from Dubai on Sunday.
"A detailed personal and baggage search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of a gold item crudely given the shape of a gold chain and one gold bar totally weighing 999 gms," a press release issued by the customs said.
The market value of the gold, which has been seized, is Rs 28.63 lakh, it said.
The accused, who hails from Ludhiana, works in a bank in Dubai.
"He was travelling with his wife and two infants-- one about ten months old and another two years -- to India to avoid suspicion of authorities," a senior customs official said.
During investigation, he admitted to have smuggled about three kgs of gold, worth Rs 82 lakh in past, using the same modus operandi, the official said.
"The passenger would always travel with his wife and kids in his bid to dodge the customs," he said.
In another case, a 34 year-old man was arrested for smuggling gold worth Rs 57 lakh.
The accused in this case was intercepted by the customs after his arrival from Mumbai on Saturday.
"During his personal search, two gold bars weighing two kgs were foumd. The gold bars were kept inside the pockets of trousers worn by him," the customs official said.
The accused showed the officials a bill of purchase of the gold from Mumbai, which was later found as fake, he said.
During investigation, it was admitted by the accused that he was handed over the gold bars and the fake bill by his employer, a Delhi-based jeweller, in the washroom of the arrival hall at Indira Gandhi International Airport here, the official said.
The jeweller had come from Dubai on the same day, he said, adding the duo has been arrested.
The total value of the gold seized in both the cases is about Rs 85.68 lakh, the official added.
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