Meenambakkam:
Gold smuggling at Chennai Meenambakkam airport is high. Foreign currency smuggled abroad will also be confiscated. But after the corona lockdown, following the smuggling of gold, drug powder like heroin, wild animals and diamonds have also increased. Day by day they are being smuggled in new and modern ways.
In 2022 more contraband like gold, drugs and foreign money were caught at Chennai Meenambakkam airport than in 2021.
From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, 205.84 kg of gold worth Rs 94.22 crore has been seized during the raid conducted by the Customs Department officials at Chennai Airport. 293 cases related to gold smuggling have been registered and 97 persons involved in smuggling have been arrested.
Most of this smuggled gold has been smuggled from Gulf countries including Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. Gold was also smuggled from Malaysia and Thailand.
There have been many cases of women smuggling gold in their hair, carrying gold spanners and tools in their pockets, powdering gold and hiding it in saffron powder.
Similarly, Rs 10 crore 97 lakh US dollars, Euro currency and Saudi Riyal have been confiscated from Chennai. 81 cases were registered in this regard and 7 people were arrested.
It is noteworthy that women were more involved in these foreign money smuggling incidents.
They also seized 27.66 kg of heroin, methaculone and cocaine powder worth Rs 14 crore. Among them, 12 women including women from Uganda, Tanzania, Venezuela, Ethiopia and Kenya were kidnapped from Sharjah and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
134 rare species of wild animals including tamarin monkeys, python cubs, fox cubs, venomous scorpions, venomous snakes and turtles have been smuggled from Thailand. 11 cases have been registered in this regard and 5 people have been arrested. All rare species were returned to the country of origin.
Also, 5,274 carats worth Rs. 1 crore 26 lakhs of diamonds and navarathanas have been seized from Colombo.
A Buddha statue that was trying to be smuggled abroad from Chennai was seized. Cigarettes and electronics worth Rs 3 crore 90 lakh have also been confiscated.
So, in 2022, gold, drugs and other drugs worth Rs. 124 crores and 88 lakhs have been smuggled. 407 cases were registered and 122 kidnappers were arrested. It is noteworthy that there are women among them.
The smuggling of electronic devices from foreign countries to Chennai has reduced to a great extent. Likewise, the smuggling of star turtles, sea horses, peacock feathers, etc., which are often smuggled abroad from Chennai, has also reduced to a great extent.
In 2021, 157 kg of gold worth Rs 70 crore 12 lakh was seized. By 2022, it has increased to 205 kg worth Rs 94 crore 22 lakh.
Similarly, in 2021, narcotics like heroin, meth quilone, brown sugar worth Rs.11 crore were seized. In 2022, it has increased to Rs.14 crore.
In 2021, the foreign money seized abroad from Chennai was Rs 9 crore. In 2022, it increased by Rs.10 crore to Rs.98 lakh.
At Chennai Airport, not only the Customs Department, but also the Central Revenue Investigation Department, the Central Narcotics Control Division and other organizations have conducted surprise raids and confiscated large quantities of smuggled gold, drugs, foreign currency etc.