When it comes to gold smuggling, old is gold.
Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials say smugglers are increasingly adopting methods which were prominent in the 70s and 80s.
"We have observed that modi operandi prominent during the earlier decades are coming back," said additional commissioner, AIU, Milind Lanjewar. Pencil boxes, trolleys, radio batteries, undergarments, socks, shoes, everything comes in handy, he said.
The latest was a family of three (a couple and their daughter) smuggling in gold bars, worth Rs 1.2 crore, hidden in their undergarments.
Late on Friday night, the AIU arrested the three. They had come from Riyadh on a Saudi Airlines flight. They had concealed 47 gold bars in a pouch made of socks and stitched to their undergarments. What is more surprising is that they confessed to having done the crime on five previous occasions.
On October 25 last year, in four cases, women using burkha were the culprits.
In the wee hours of November 6, two passengers were apprehended for smuggling in gold wires worth Rs 1.25 crore by concealing it inside the eye hole of 42 belts and two caps.
In another instance, the AIU held three persons, including two women, for smuggling in gold worth Rs 3.2 crore by concealing it in aluminum pencil boxes.
"The gold smuggling syndicate keeps adopting innovative methods," said Lanjewar.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), which sees the highest arrival of foreigners into the country, has seen a 173% jump in gold seizures in financial year 2014-15. About 943 kg of gold was seized at the airport. A year earlier, it was 345 kg. In 2012-13, it was 64 kg.
AIU officials said that, on most occasions, the accused are mere mules who have no idea about the origin or final destination of the consignment.
They are given handsome amount for transporting the consignment. Even physically challenged passengers are used, as law-enforcers will be soft towards them.
On April 14 last year, a poor physically challenged person from Mira Road was arrested by the customs department. Gold ornaments worth over Rs 2 lakh was seized from a steel tiffin box he was carrying.
Experts say since the methods adopted by criminals keep changing, AIU officials often move around in civil dress, looking out for aberrations in passenger behaviour.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}