Airports in Kerala, particularly Kozhikode, remain the main gateways for gold smugglers, with 232 kg of gold seized in the state till November of this year. However, since 2020, the amount of gold seized and the number of smuggling cases in Kerala have dropped due to Covid restrictions and limited airline services.
According to data presented to Parliament earlier this month, Kozhikode airport ranked second in the country in terms of gold seized this year. The airport seized 128.170 kg of gold between January and November this year, second to Chennai airport, which seized 130.109 kg of the yellow metal. Until November this year, Kochi airport seized 62.281 kg of smuggled gold, while Kannur airport seized 28.939kg.
The number of gold seizures at Thiruvananthapuram Airport has dropped dramatically in recent months, with only 12.820 kg seized until November of this year. In contrast, around 300 kg of gold was recovered in the entire year of 2020. ‘The smuggling incidents at Kozhikode international airport are the chief concern for the customs. Even during the lockdown period, the flow of smuggled gold through the airport was high as compared to other airports in the state’, a senior customs officer said.
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