Hyderabad airport sees gold smuggling rise after duties hit 15%
After the government raised import duties on gold and silver to 15%, Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has seen a noticeable jump in gold smuggling.
Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials say gold is coming in from Gulf countries and Africa, as the bigger price gap makes smuggling more tempting for syndicates.
Smugglers use creative concealment methods
Recent busts have revealed some creative hiding spots: think gold packed inside an iron press or even tucked into commercial chocolate packets.
On May 2, officials seized 3.5kg of foreign gold worth over ₹3.45 crore at RGIA, arresting three people, including two airport staff.
On May 15 in Delhi, over ₹5.5 crore worth of gold was found stitched into clothes and body belts.
With smugglers switching up their methods, enforcement teams are now relying more on profiling and behavioral analysis to catch them in the act.