There has been a significant increase in the number of gold paste smuggling cases. Smugglers are using this new tactic as paste is very difficult to intercept. In a recent case, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Chennai Customs intercepted an Indian male crew member of Emirates flight EK-544, which arrived at Anna International Airport, Chennai, from Dubai.
Upon examination, it was found that the person was wearing three Velcro bands around his chest and waist. These bands contained ten packets of gold paste packed in white paper. The extraction led to the seizure of 9.46 kg of 24-carat gold worth Rs 11.4 crore.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that without specific Intelligence, gold paste is very difficult to detect. Even advanced body scanners cannot detect the material, the official said, adding that smugglers find this method the easiest. Even if someone is caught, it is hard to identify gold paste unless the carrier slips up and gives a clue, the official added.
Another official explained that Intelligence plays a crucial role in detecting such cases. Suspects can be apprehended based on profiling of the passenger and on their travel patterns, the official said. The agencies have found that gold is being primarily smuggled into India from the Gulf and Southeast Asian countries like the UAE and Singapore. They are being pushed into India through Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, officials have found.
Intelligence agencies say that the high domestic demand for gold, coupled with high prices, is what is encouraging smugglers to bring in more gold illegally. Currently, the profit margins are very high. The profit margin for smuggling only a kg of gold can exceed Rs 1.5 million by bypassing duties and taxes. Owing to this demand, smugglers are increasingly smuggling gold in the form of paste.
The smugglers melt pure gold at high temperatures and add impurities to it. The solution is dyed and made into a paste. Once it is smuggled, then the paste is converted into powder form and then washed with chemical solutions, which then allow the extraction of the gold. It is a lengthy process and could take up to 9 hours.
With this menace going up rapidly, the Intelligence agencies have begun profiling scores of people who could be potential smugglers. Last July, the CISF vigilance team at Surat airport foiled a major smuggling attempt, while seizing 28 kg of gold paste from two Dubai-returned passengers. The male and female passengers had arrived from Dubai. During routine surveillance, the agencies noticed that the duo were behaving suspiciously. The team then detained them for a check, following which the gold paste was seized.
Officials say that since the detection of gold paste is next to impossible, it is important that the agencies profile persons thoroughly. They need to check for behavioural patterns when passengers land at airports or at ports. This has been the most successful technique to identify smugglers who bring in gold paste.
Intelligence agencies warn that the biggest challenge in this method of smuggling gold is detection. The paste form’s ability to evade typical metal detectors and scanners means that the authorities have to rely on human Intelligence, passenger profiling and also tip-offs. Using these techniques, the DRI and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have made significant seizures at Chennai, Surat, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports. This involved large quantities of gold paste, an official said while pointing out the challenges going forward.
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