The city airport is seeing a spurt in air passengers smuggling gold into the country without paying duty, especially as the duty structure for gold imports has increased.
The customs department had seized Rs 5.4 crore worth of gold in 64 cases in the first nine months of the 2011-12 financial year compared to Rs 3.2 crore worth of gold seized from 45 cases in the whole of the 2010-11 financial year.
“We have so far detected four cases and seized gold worth Rs 31 lakh since the new duty structure came into force on January 16,” Chennai airport customs commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told DC, adding that the customs department has incre-ased vigil after it found that the number of cases had shot up.
“While the rise in gold prices have contributed to the increase in value of gold seized, the recent change in duty structure ad-valorem rates, where the duty is imposed based on the value of the gold and not the volume, has led to more people attempting to bring in gold illegally,” a customs department official said.
Now, manufacturers importing gold bars have to pay 2 per cent of value as duty, while others have to pay 5 per cent duty on the gold imports.
Earlier, people who imported gold bars for making ornaments paid Rs 300 per 10 grams as duty, while those who brought gold in any other form, including jewellery, paid a levy of Rs 750 per 10 grams.
A passenger is allowed to carry only about Rs 10,000 worth of gold into India without having to pay any duty.