Lok Sabha Question No. 4014 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: Smuggling of Gold at Airports
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: LAXMAN GILUWA, RAMA DEVI, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4014

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY10 TH  AUGUST, 2018 SHRAVANA 19, 1940 [SAKA]

## SMUGGLING OF GOLD AT AIRPORTS

## 4014.  SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA: SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- a)  whether instances of smuggling of gold from foreign countries are on the rise and several  persons  have  been  arrested  carrying  gold/gold  biscuits,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- b)  the number and value of smuggled gold/gold biscuits seized by the customs at the  airports  along  with  the  number  of  persons  arrested  and  cases  registered,  at airport, State/UT-wise;
- c)  the details of the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- d)  whether any instances of theft of seized gold kept in the vaults at the airports has come to the notice of the Government, if so, the details thereof; and
- e)  whether the Government has any proposal to reduce the import duty on gold and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE [REVENUE] (SHRI SHIV PRATAP SHUKLA)

- (a) &  (b)  The  details  of  the  cases  of  smuggling  of  gold  seized  by  Customs  at Airports, State/UT-wise are attached at Annexure 'A'.
- (c) On detection of the cases, action is taken against the persons involved including arrest in accordance with the Customs Act, 1962.
- (d)    Yes.  Three  instances  of  theft of  seized  gold  kept  in  the  vaults  at  the  airports have come to the notice of the Government in the year 2017-18.
- (e)There is no proposal under consideration to reduce import duty on gold.

## ANNEXURE'A'

| Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4014 for reply on 10.08.2018   | Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4014 for reply on 10.08.2018   | Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4014 for reply on 10.08.2018   | Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4014 for reply on 10.08.2018   | Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4014 for reply on 10.08.2018   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State/UT                                                                    |                                                                             | Seizure of Gold                                                             | Seizure of Gold                                                             | No. of Persons Arrested                                                     |
| State/UT                                                                    | Name of the Airport                                                         | No. of Cases Registered during the current year upto June, 2018             | Value (Rs. In Lakh)                                                         | No. of Persons Arrested                                                     |
| Gujarat                                                                     | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport                              | 23                                                                          | 613.77                                                                      | 16                                                                          |
| Karnataka                                                                   | Mangalore International Airport                                             | 25                                                                          | 446.2                                                                       | 1                                                                           |
| Karnataka                                                                   | Kempegowda International Airport                                            | 16                                                                          | 165.15                                                                      | 1                                                                           |
| Odisha                                                                      | Biju Patnaik International Airport                                          | 10                                                                          | 303.52                                                                      | 6                                                                           |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                  | Anna International Airport                                                  | 50                                                                          | 2779.62                                                                     | 11                                                                          |
| Kerala                                                                      | Cochin International Airport                                                | 116                                                                         | 1114.92                                                                     | 14                                                                          |
| Kerala                                                                      | Calicut International Airport                                               | 135                                                                         | 1667.2                                                                      | 14                                                                          |
| Kerala                                                                      | Thiruvananthapuram International Airport                                    | 30                                                                          | 400.68                                                                      | 11                                                                          |
| Delhi                                                                       | Indira Gandhi International Airport                                         | 109                                                                         | 4602.4                                                                      | 123                                                                         |
| Punjab                                                                      | Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport                                 | 14                                                                          | 100.39                                                                      | 2                                                                           |
| Chandigarh (UT)                                                             | Chandigarh International Airport                                            | 9                                                                           | 131.08                                                                      | 3                                                                           |
| Rajasthan                                                                   | Jaipur International Airport                                                | 4                                                                           | 41.13                                                                       | 0                                                                           |
| Telangana                                                                   | Rajiv Gandhi Internationl Airport                                           | 16                                                                          | 359.52                                                                      | 12                                                                          |
| West Bengal                                                                 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport                            | 24                                                                          | 229.51                                                                      | 2                                                                           |
| Maharashtra                                                                 | Pune International Airport                                                  | 4                                                                           | 156.88                                                                      | 2                                                                           |
|                                                                             | Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport                                   | 290                                                                         | 4214.1                                                                      | 57                                                                          |
|                                                                             | Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport                                | 1                                                                           | 1.76                                                                        | 0                                                                           |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                               | Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport                                | 3                                                                           | 38.33                                                                       | 1                                                                           |
| Goa                                                                         | Dabolim International Airport                                               | 5                                                                           | 71.92                                                                       | 4                                                                           |
| Manipur                                                                     | Imphal International                                                        | 10                                                                          | 208.14                                                                      | 5                                                                           |

|                | Airport                             |    |        |    |
|----------------|-------------------------------------|----|--------|----|
| Andhra Pradesh | Visakhapatnam International Airport |  3 |  22.84 |  0 |
| Tamil Nadu     | Trichy Airport                      | 55 | 441.86 |  3 |
| Tamil Nadu     | Madurai International Airport       |  8 | 155.61 |  1 |
| Tamil Nadu     | Coiambatore International Airport   | 25 | 457.6  |  2 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Indore International Airport        |  1 | 113    |  0 |