Indian customs seize gold worth $500,000 from Dubai flight passengers

The pair concealed 8.17kg of the precious metal inside a range of household appliances

Two passengers on an Emirates flight were arrested on their arrival in Chennai for trying to smuggle more than $500,000 in gold. Photo: Chennai customs twitter

Passengers going to India from Dubai tried to dodge import taxes by smuggling more than half a million dollars worth of gold in household appliances.

The pair, who had travelled on an Emirates flight, concealed 8.17kg of gold in a rice cooker, juicer, food mincer and nebuliser.

Customs officers seized the haul, which was worth $542,745, and arrested them on their arrival in Chennai on Sunday.

July has been a busy month for customs authorities in Indian airports, after several passengers were arrested in similar incidents.

Airport authorities in Mumbai intercepted an Indian passenger who arrived on a flight from Dubai on Thursday, July 22.

Customs officers recovered 24 gold rods weighing 348 grams hidden inside a speaker and luggage.

The gold was valued at about $20,000 and would have attracted an import duty of 10.75 per cent, if declared.

Two days before that, Chennai Air Customs recovered a stash of gold hidden inside a passenger on an Emirates flight from Dubai.

The 810g, worth about $54,000, was concealed in four bundles of gold paste and smuggled into India. The passenger was arrested.

And on July 14, a passenger was arrested at Delhi airport after gold was found illegally concealed inside a mobile phone to avoid the payment of import duties.

The Indian national was intercepted shortly after landing on an Emirates flight and found to have hidden 623g of gold worth more than $35,500.

Under further investigation, the passenger admitted he had previously smuggled 730g of gold into the country from Dubai. He was later arrested.

While there is no limit on the amount of tax-free gold a person can export from the UAE, India has clear rules on importing precious metals.

Men can import up to 20g of gold worth not more than 50,000 rupees ($671) duty-free.

Female passengers are allowed to bring in 40g of gold worth not more than 100,000 rupees without paying tax.

Travellers who want to bring more gold into India must declare it on arrival at border control and pay import duty.

The fee changed in February 2021 when finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman cut import duties on gold and silver from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, but imposed a 2.5 per cent cess – an extra, separate tax.

The total import duty now is 10.75 per cent, compared to 12.5 per cent before the changes.

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