There are ways to smuggle gold, but when desperation kicks in, there is this way.
A man was caught Sunday (Feb 12) trying to smuggle 20 gold bars from Singapore to Hyderabad, including 12 in his rectum.
The 36-year-old had hidden eight other gold bars in LED lamps in his checked-in suitcase, The Times of India reported.
The suspect was taken in for questioning at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport after the lamps caught the attention of customs staff.
He then went through a metal detector, which led to the discovery of the gold bars in his rectum.
According to The New Indian Express, the 20 gold bars weighing 100g each were worth a total of 5.91 million rupees (S$126,000).
The suspect, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has been detained by officials at the airport.
India is one of the world’s largest gold consumers. Escalating prices for the precious metal in the country have led to an increase in gold smuggling cases, said a report by The Times of India.
Mules purchase gold at lower prices in countries such as Singapore, Sri Lanka and Dubai, and find innovative ways to bring it into India. Popular methods in recent years include concealment in the rectum and using gold to recreate parts of electronics.
huizhen@sph.com.sg
