Gold seized at Dabolim from Chennai passenger
PTI, PANAJI | 31 March 2014 21:20 IST
The customs department arrested a passenger from Chennai here today, for allegedly trying to smuggle gold into the country by hiding it in his rectum.
The person, whose identity has not been disclosed, was arrested at the newly built Goa airport terminal, after he arrived on an Air India flight from Mumbai today morning.
During interrogation, the accused claimed that he came to Goa to trade in areca nuts with five-star hotels, but drew a blank when he was asked to name the hotels.
A physical search yielded six bars of 100 grams gold valued at Rs 17,13,400 in the domestic market.
Further interrogations would reveal who had provided him with the gold bars, a senior official said.
Gold smuggling got rebirth because of Chidambaram's policy of increasing the import duty on gold to 10%. This was done to control ever increasing trade deficit and containing fall of Indian Rupee against foreign currencies. Chidambaram in haste to cure one malaise has revived the old disease of gold smuggling. Problem has gone under carpet. Smugglers are thankful to Chidambaram.
If Churchill Alemao does not win a Lok Sabha seat, he along with his family members ,could consider going back to his old profession of smuggling Gold. !!!