Gold smuggling has been a regular phenomenon in Kerala. Quite often, the smuggling of gold is reported from all international airports in Kerala.
The State has four international airports, i.e., Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur. Now, the credible information has come from the horse’s mouth itself. Kochi Customs Preventive Commissioner Rajendrakumar stated, addressing a seminar in Kochi, that during the last fiscal year (2022 – 2023), Kerala Customs seized 630 kgs gold, worth Rs 311 cr in connection with 810 cases. The arrest rate is an average of one man per day. During 2021 -22, 329 people were arrested. The seminar was organised by the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying Economy (CASCADE). The seminar was conducted on “Smuggling and Counterfeiting”.
FICCI CASCADE’s recent report states that in 2022, the country lost Rs 58,521 cr owing to illegal trade. Cigarettes worth Rs 329 lakhs, in connection with 123 cases, had been seized. Several goods, including gold, cigarette, narcotic drugs and electronic goods, come to India’s market. In 2019 – 20, illegal trade of mobile phones, FMCG, tobacco products and alcohol worth Rs 260,094 took place.
Kochi City Police Commissioner K Sethuraman IPS said, on the occasion, that modern methodologies applied in illegal activities and smuggling create challenges before the police investigations.
This is an alarming news for the Patriots. Kerala is still not relieved from the shock of the giant consignment of narcotics Bharat Navy and Customs seized offshore last week. It weighed 2,525 kgs and was worth more than Rs. 25,000 cr. National Narcotics Bureau (NCB) has sought the custody of the Pakistani citizen Subair caught hold during the offshore haul. He is reported to have told, during the interrogation, that he was a carrier for a Pakistani smuggler. No one can rule out the terror links of this drug consignment.
The aforementioned underlines the fact that Kerala Police should give more support to the central agencies to put an end to these anti-national activities.
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