<p>Smuggled gold seizure increased nearly 47 per cent year-on-year in 2022, with Kerala accounting for the maximum quantity of confiscation of the yellow metal, according to government data.</p>.<p>Various wings of the government seized 2,383.38 kg of gold in 2021 and 2,154.58 kg in the preceding year.</p>.<p>In the first two months of 2023, as much as 916.37 kg of smuggled gold was seized.</p>.<p>To deter the smuggling of gold, Customs field formations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) keep constant vigil and take operational measures, such as passenger profiling, risk-based interdiction and targeting of cargo consignments, non-intrusive inspection, rummaging of aircraft and coordination with other agencies, the finance ministry had said in a reply to the Rajya Sabha.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/man-caught-smuggling-gold-inside-childs-diaper-at-mangaluru-airport-1201300.html" target="_blank">Man caught smuggling gold inside child's diaper at Mangaluru airport</a></strong></p>.<p>Modus operandi circulars related to new modus/methods used by the gold smugglers are issued from time to time, it added.</p>.<p>As per the data by the finance ministry, there were as many as 3,982 cases of seizure of gold in 2022 compared to 2,445 in 2021.</p>.<p>In Kerala, the gold seizure stood at 755.81 kg in 2022, while it was 586.95 in the preceding year. The number of cases of seizure of gold stood at 1,035 in 2022.</p>.<p>In terms of quantity of gold seized, Kerala was followed by Maharashtra (535.65 kg) and Tamil Nadu (519 kg).</p>.<p>The seizure from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Leh & Ladakh stood at 556.69 kg in 2022.</p>.<p>In the last three years, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted investigations and filed charge sheets in three cases of gold smuggling.</p>.<p>India is the second largest consumer of gold after China.</p>.<p>As per a DRI report for 2021-22, gold smuggling in India is fuelled by the huge demand for gold, combined with import duty on licit import of gold.</p>.<p>The basic Customs Duty rate on gold is 12.5 per cent. Along with the Agricultural Infrastructural Development Cess (AIDC) of 2.5 per cent and IGST rate of 3 per cent applicable to the imports of gold, the overall tax rate works out to 18.45 per cent.</p>.<p>India being a negligible producer of gold, the huge demand for gold in the country is met through imports. India imports gold dore bar as well as refined gold.</p>.<p>In the last five years, the DRI report said imports of gold dore bars made up 30 per cent of the total official imports of the yellow metal in India.</p>
<p>Smuggled gold seizure increased nearly 47 per cent year-on-year in 2022, with Kerala accounting for the maximum quantity of confiscation of the yellow metal, according to government data.</p>.<p>Various wings of the government seized 2,383.38 kg of gold in 2021 and 2,154.58 kg in the preceding year.</p>.<p>In the first two months of 2023, as much as 916.37 kg of smuggled gold was seized.</p>.<p>To deter the smuggling of gold, Customs field formations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) keep constant vigil and take operational measures, such as passenger profiling, risk-based interdiction and targeting of cargo consignments, non-intrusive inspection, rummaging of aircraft and coordination with other agencies, the finance ministry had said in a reply to the Rajya Sabha.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/man-caught-smuggling-gold-inside-childs-diaper-at-mangaluru-airport-1201300.html" target="_blank">Man caught smuggling gold inside child's diaper at Mangaluru airport</a></strong></p>.<p>Modus operandi circulars related to new modus/methods used by the gold smugglers are issued from time to time, it added.</p>.<p>As per the data by the finance ministry, there were as many as 3,982 cases of seizure of gold in 2022 compared to 2,445 in 2021.</p>.<p>In Kerala, the gold seizure stood at 755.81 kg in 2022, while it was 586.95 in the preceding year. The number of cases of seizure of gold stood at 1,035 in 2022.</p>.<p>In terms of quantity of gold seized, Kerala was followed by Maharashtra (535.65 kg) and Tamil Nadu (519 kg).</p>.<p>The seizure from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Leh & Ladakh stood at 556.69 kg in 2022.</p>.<p>In the last three years, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted investigations and filed charge sheets in three cases of gold smuggling.</p>.<p>India is the second largest consumer of gold after China.</p>.<p>As per a DRI report for 2021-22, gold smuggling in India is fuelled by the huge demand for gold, combined with import duty on licit import of gold.</p>.<p>The basic Customs Duty rate on gold is 12.5 per cent. Along with the Agricultural Infrastructural Development Cess (AIDC) of 2.5 per cent and IGST rate of 3 per cent applicable to the imports of gold, the overall tax rate works out to 18.45 per cent.</p>.<p>India being a negligible producer of gold, the huge demand for gold in the country is met through imports. India imports gold dore bar as well as refined gold.</p>.<p>In the last five years, the DRI report said imports of gold dore bars made up 30 per cent of the total official imports of the yellow metal in India.</p>