Page 56 - SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT FOR 2020-2021

10 2020-2021 SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT
A popular mode of gold smuggling noticed in airports was the use of gold paste and powder. The gold would be converted to paste/ powder form and wrapped into small capsules. These would then be concealed in the rectum of the passenger. The passenger has to be x-rayed to identify the presence of gold globules in the rectum. One such x-ray image is shown below
Figure 8-X-ray Image of Gold concealed in Rectum
This mode of gold smuggling has been observed in airports along the western coast, particularly airports in Kerala, where a large number of such cases have been detected, many by AIU officers of Airport Customs and many by DRI units. Each passenger typically carries 2-3 such capsules resulting in a total weight of approximately 750-900 grams, out of which solid gold is extracted, usually 90% of the powder/paste weight. A typical seizure from one passenger is shown below, in which 3 capsules
Figure 9-Gold in Capsule form