Kerala Police Seizes 150 kg Gold in Anti-Smuggling Crackdown

Kerala Police's intense crackdown on gold and hawala smuggling has resulted in the seizure of 150 kg of gold, valued at Rs 81 crore, and the registration of 337 hawala cases, leading to the confiscation of about Rs 123 crore over the past five years.

As part of its ongoing crackdown on gold and hawala smuggling, the Kerala Police have seized nearly 150 kg of gold, valued at Rs 81 crore, and registered 337 hawala cases, resulting in the confiscation of around Rs 123 crore over the past five years. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed state police to take stringent action against the network of smugglers, leading to these significant recoveries and detections.

Despite these large-scale seizures, recent controversies have alleged that CM Vijayan and his office are complicit in smuggling activities. The ruling CPI(M) government denies these accusations, providing data to support their efforts. Kerala Police data indicates that over the past five years, 188 gold smuggling cases have been recorded, resulting in the seizure of 147.79 kg of gold. Since 2020, 337 hawala cases have been reported, leading to the confiscation of Rs 122.55 crore.

In 2022, Kozhikode airport authorities seized a total of 298 kg of gold, valued at nearly Rs 200 crore. Of this, customs officials confiscated 270 kg, while the police seized an additional 28 kg. The largest gold smuggling seizure took place in 2022, involving 80 kg of gold across 98 cases. In 2023, the number dropped to 49 kg over 61 cases. Thus far this year, 18 kg of gold has been seized.

Hawala fund detection hit a peak in 2023, with 94 cases involving Rs 39 crore uncovered. In the previous year, 67 cases worth Rs 35.5 crore were detected. So far this year, 67 cases amounting to Rs 150 crore have been identified.

(With inputs from agencies.)