Dubai: Indian customs officials arrested a off-duty cabin crew member for attempting to smuggle Dh2 million worth of gold through Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
The stewardess, according to a report in an Indian newspaper, was off duty when she was apprehended for hiding 13kg of gold bars valued at $553,000 (Dh2.03 million) in her hand luggage. She was travelling as a passenger via flight EK526 and arrived in Hyderabad at 10am.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the arrest. “On April 9, an incident occurred wherein a passenger arriving on flight EK526 from Dubai to Hyderabad was detained by customs for carrying an undeclared quantity of gold in their baggage. Emirates has extended its cooperation to customs authorities investigating the matter.”
The cabin crew member’s arrest was the second in two gold smuggling attempts in India that day. Customs officials caught a passenger from Qatar who hid 2.7kg of gold in her clothes.
Gold smuggling has increased from last year since the Indian government imposed high import duties on gold to help the value of the Indian currency. Most Indians prefer the yellow metal to money as their savings scheme, making India the world’s second largest consumer of gold. Previously in the top place, India was overtaken by China in 2013 according to the World Gold Council.
Anyone caught smuggling gold in India worth Rs20 million (Dh1.2 million) and below is not arrested. Authorities confiscate the gold and free the passenger. But they have the option of paying the import duties for the gold and the penalty if they want to take it back. Smuggling more than this amount could lead to arrest.
