Customs seizes ₹11-crore gold from airports in Kerala in one week
Customs officials in Kerala have seized 8 kg of smuggled gold worth ₹11 crore across 14 separate cases in one week. Authorities noted that smugglers are using increasingly sophisticated concealment methods, often linked to passengers arriving from Gulf countries.
Why it matters
The surge in gold smuggling highlights challenges in border security and the economic impact of fluctuating import duties on illicit trade.
The Customs department has seized 8 kg of gold costing more than ₹11 crore allegedly smuggled through airports in Kerala in the past one week, the agency said on Sunday (August 2, 2026). The seizures were made in 14 separate cases.
Nine individuals, including six Keralites and three natives of Tamil Nadu, have been arrested by the Customs in these connection.
The agency, in a communication, said the recent cases indicate the use of highly sophisticated concealment methods by organised international smuggling networks. “Smugglers are increasingly attempting to evade detection by converting gold into paste or compound form, concealing it inside specially tailored clothing, body cavities, aircraft seats, and other unconventional locations,” it said.
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