Air India Express cabin crew arrested for gold smuggling in Kochi; know how much gold you can carry to India from UAE

An Air India Express flight cabin crew was arrested today by the Customs at Cochin International Airport for smuggling over 1.4 kg gold, news agency ANI reported. The arrested person has been identified as Shafi Sharaf, a native of Wayanad.   

The Customs Preventive Commissionerate had received the secret information that Shafi, a crew of Bahrain-Kozhikode-Kochi service, was bringing 1,487 grams of gold. He had taken Flight IX 474 from Bahrain to arrive in India around 8:30 p.m.

The gold was wrapped around his hands, according to ANI. 

The accused intended to pass through the green channel by wrapping the gold around his hands, and covering his shirt sleeves. Officials said that Shafi is currently being interrogated.

Meanwhile, Air India Express said the arrested crew has been placed on suspension with immediate effect. The airline said it has zero tolerance for such behaviour and will be dealt with iron hand. It said that such individuals will facetermination of service following receipt of the report from the investigative authorities.
In another related development, the Customs sleuths also seized gold bars worth Rs 3.32 crore at Cochin International Airport.

Notably, many "carriers" and jewellers with connections to the Gulf are allegedly involved in the Kerala gold smuggling ring; their operations are allegedly made easier by corrupt enforcement agents and even airline employees.

What is gold smuggling and its common practice in India? 

The act of carrying goods into a country through unauthorized means is referred to as smuggling. This is done to either bring legal items into the country without paying customs and taxes or to carry unlawful goods.

In nations like India where there is a great demand for gold, it is frequently smuggled in from places where it is more affordable due to reduced taxes. India is notorious for its smuggling because of its high demand for gold. Around 25 per cent of gold is imported into India through illegal channels, according to a report of the Canada-based group IMPACT.

However, people are now free to import gold in forms other than jewellery after the Gold Control Act was removed in the 1990s. When entering India, the imports were subject to substantial taxes and duties. As a result, a clandestine gold-smuggling network immediately emerged and expanded in popularity. 

At the time, the government implemented reforms that decreased the customs fees paid on imported gold. The gold smuggling industry swiftly collapsed after the tariffs charged on imports of gold were capped at Rs 450 per 10 grammes.

As the government lifted the import duty restriction on gold in 2013, gold smuggling spiked once more. Currently, taxes and charges on imported gold add 20 per cent to the price. 75 per cent of the gold entering India is smuggled through the United Arab Emirates.

Many steps are being taken by the government and law enforcement to address the issue. Even those who are found trying to smuggle gold into the country are being prosecuted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

How much gold can a person carry from UAE? 

Each gender is allowed a different amount of gold to enter India. According to the law, a man flying from Dubai to India is only permitted to bring 20 gm of gold with him. However, a woman travelling from Dubai can bring 40 gm of gold with her.

Apart from this, children who have lived out of India for more than a year can also bring gold with them.

Meanwhile, when returning to India, all Indian citizens who have resided abroad for more than six months, or in Dubai, for that matter, are permitted to bring gold coins or bars weighing up to one kilogramme. If they bring more gold from Dubai to India than is allowed for duty-free import, they will have to pay a customs fee.