Youth Caught with Gold Worth Rs 11 Lakh at Surat Airport

Surat: Customs officials at Surat International Airport have seized gold worth Rs 11 lakh from a youth who arrived from Dubai. The gold was cleverly hidden in the buckle of his belt. During a routine check, an alert customs officer noticed something shiny in the youth's belt, prompting further inspection and questioning. The investigation revealed that the belt buckle contained gold valued at Rs 11 lakh.

This is not the first time such a smuggling method has been detected. In April, a 30-year-old youth was apprehended with a belt buckle containing 150 grams of gold, also worth Rs 11 lakh.

Gold smuggling through innovative means like belt buckles highlights the ongoing challenges faced by customs officials. Despite measures to curb such activities, smugglers continue to devise new methods to evade detection.

In a related development, most fake billing cases reported to the police involve forged documents. Complainants often allege misuse of their documents, leading to police investigations. However, recent GST reforms are expected to reduce the incidence of fake billing cases by closing loopholes previously exploited.

Additionally, two accused in a gold smuggling case involving Rs 70 lakh remain in jail. Meanwhile, Umaima and Firoz Noor, also implicated in the case, were granted bail by a lower court. Their defense lawyer, Nadeem Ismail Chaudhary, successfully argued that the police failed to prove the alleged fake billing.

These incidents underscore the vigilance required by customs and law enforcement agencies to combat smuggling and fraud effectively.