Gold hidden in mobile phones seized at Indian airport!

M. Pathriban, India Senior Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officer, said on Wednesday in New Delhi that more than 21 kilograms of gold was seized from a commercial plane at Chennai airport in southern India.

He said the gold worth nearly one million dollars was concealed in mobile phones, packed in 80 boxes in the cargo of the plane which arrived from Hong Kong.

“Mobile phones are rarely imported into India in air cargo, with most suppliers sending such consignments by sea,’’ he said.

Pathriban said Officials also seized more than six kilograms of gold being smuggled by passengers at Chennai airport over the weekend.

He said several high-profile cases of gold smuggling have been detected at Indian airports in recent months since the government imposed strict curbs on official imports of gold.

Pathriban said the measure was aimed at limiting its impact on a widening current account deficit.

He said in November 2013, cleaners found 24 gold bars worth more than 1.4 million dollars in the toilet of a commercial aircraft at Kolkata airport.

Palaniappan Chidambaram, Finance Minister said the duty on imports of gold jewellery was hiked from 8 per cent to 10 per cent last year, but government would soon review the import curbs,.

He estimated that up to 3,000 kilograms of gold was being smuggled into the country each month.

dpa reports that India was one of the world’s largest consumers of gold with Indians traditionally buying jewellery and hoarding it as a financial security.