Kerala air customs seize 8 kg gold worth ₹11 crore in a week; 9 held

The Customs department has seized 8 kg of gold valued at over ₹11 crore from airports in Kerala in the past one week, officials said on Sunday (August 2, 2026). The gold was allegedly smuggled into the state through 14 separate incidents, and nine individuals have been arrested in connection with these cases.

According to a statement from the agency, six of the arrested persons are Keralites and three are natives of Tamil Nadu. The Customs said the recent seizures point to the use of highly sophisticated concealment methods by organised international smuggling networks.

“Smugglers are increasingly attempting to evade detection by converting gold into paste or compound form, concealing it inside specially tailored clothing, body cavities, aircraft seats, and other unconventional locations,” the agency said in its communication.

Customs sources said most of the 14 cases involved passengers arriving from Gulf countries. A 10% hike in import duty on gold appears to have triggered a rise in smuggling attempts, a source said. The increase in duty made legal import more expensive, thereby increasing the incentive for illegal channels.

The department also noted that some seizures and arrests were carried out in coordination with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Kerala Police.

In addition to the gold, Customs sleuths in the state have seized foreign currency worth more than ₹3 crore that was being taken out of the country through Kerala’s airports. A Customs source said the illegal outflow of foreign currency is likely to increase as gold smuggling grows, since such currency is often used to purchase gold abroad.

The latest operations highlight the ongoing challenge faced by enforcement agencies in curbing smuggling activities at international airports. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to strengthening surveillance and inspection procedures to detect and dismantle such networks.