Express News Service
KOCHI: After a brief lull, gold smugglers have swung into action with nine smuggling attempts thwarted at Kochi airport in a week. Gold has started flowing in as flight services became operational after the second wave of COVID.
Across Kerala, smuggling attempts have increased but the most number of smugglers were intercepted in Kozhikode and Kochi airports.
In Kochi airport, nine persons were intercepted and 10.5 kg of gold was seized in a week’s time. In the last three days, as many as six persons were intercepted both by Customs and DRI officials. Only isolated incidents of gold smuggling were reported last month as only a few international flights were operating. However, with international flight services becoming fully operational last week, smuggling attempts have rapidly increased. Now, daily two to three attempts are being reported. On Thursday alone five passengers who arrived from Gulf countries were intercepted for smuggling gold, a Customs of