| Date: |
02-05-2015 |
| Subject: |
Hyderabad Airport is gold smugglers favourite |
|
HYDERABAD: The Rajiv Gandhi International (RGI) Airport has become a favorite port of entry for gold smugglers. The quantity of gold seized and number of smuggling cases booked by Customs sleuths have doubled in the 2014-15 financial year.
According to an official release issued by the customs department here on Wednesday, the Shamshabad airport has seen a surge in gold smuggling cases in the recent times. In the 2014-15 fiscal, customs sleuths at RGI Airport had seized 127.67 kgs of gold valued at Rs 31.98 crores from smugglers. The customs officials registered 125 cases of gold smuggling and 40 smugglers were arrested.
In the 2013-14 financial year, only 68 cases were registered in which 60.26 kgs of gold worth Rs 17.96 crore was seized.
"In majority of the cases, the arrested smuggler was only a carrier sent by a syndicate. Regular passengers are being lured to smuggle in gold for a paltry sum of Rs10,000 plus airfare," a customs official said.
Rules:
Indian passengers who stay abroad for over a year are allowed to bring free of duty gold in the form of jewellery in their bonafide baggage up to an aggregate value of Rs 50,000 (male passenger) or Rs 1 lakh (lady passenger).
Importing gold and silver in the form of tola bars or bars turned into crude jewellery is restricted.
A person of Indian origin or an Indian national after a stay of six months abroad can bring gold up to 1 kg on payment of duty of 10.3% on the tariff value of the gold (the value is notified by the central government from time to time).
In case, where the gold is brought in excess of the provisions and declared to customs, a duty of 36.05% is to be paid by the passenger.
Further, the Customs Act empowers imposition of heavy penalties, including arrest for those passengers who attempt to walk through the green channel with prohibited, restricted or dutiable goods.
Legally, passengers are allowed free of duty their used personal effects.
Passengers are permitted a baggage allowance of Rs 45,000 for a stay exceeding three days abroad. However, the allowance is not applicable to flat panel (LCD/LED/Plasma) television. A laptop over and above the said free allowance is also allowed duty free if imported by any passenger of 18 years and above. Alcoholic up to two litres per person is allowed to be imported within the free allowance limit. The goods over and above the free allowances are generally chargeable to customs duty at 36.05%.
Non-declaration, mis-declaration and concealment of imported goods is an offence under the Customs Act, which may result in confiscation, fine, penalty, arrest and prosecution.
Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
|