New Delhi (Lampost.co) – An Indian citizen was caught smuggling a kilo of gold paste in his rectum. The suspect wanted to go through Indian customs.

As the second largest gold consumer in the world, experts in India say that smuggling has increased in recent years. The mode involves converting the precious metal into a paste form.

The Indian was arrested on Monday after a security officer noticed “metal in the body cavity” at Imphal Airport in the northeastern state of Manipur.

“The man who was on his way to New Delhi was brought for interrogation, but could not answer satisfactorily,” said the Central Industrial Security Force in a press release that was quoted with the words. AFP, Wednesday, September 29th, 2021.

The officers then took him to a medical exam room, where an x-ray of his lower body revealed four capsules of gold paste weighing more than 900 grams. The total proceeds of the smuggling reached around 4.2 million rupees, or around 809 million rupees.

The demand for gold in India peaks in the last months of the year when the wedding season begins and preparations are made for the major Hindu festivals of Diwali and Dussehra.

According to experts, the Manipur region bordering Bangladesh has become an important route for the smuggling of gold bars to India.

Smugglers have become more creative lately, with authorities finding gold bars sewn into clothing or hidden in oral cavities. Some even use wheelchairs to hide their dark cargo.

In August India’s Gold Policy Center announced that an estimated 300 tons of gold are being smuggled into the country annually. This condition causes a huge loss of revenue for the government.

EDITOR

Winarko