Customs, DRI seize 847 kg of gold worth Rs 544 cr at airports in Q1: FM

Customs and DRI officers have seized 847 kg of gold worth Rs 544 crore at various airports in the three months of the current fiscal till June, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman gave details of gold seizure cases at airports and seaports by Customs field formations and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25. In FY25, up to June 2024, 847.43 kg of gold was seized in 1,282 cases. The value of seized gold is Rs 543.61 crore. In the 2023-24 fiscal, there were 5,962 cases of seizure at airports with 3,714 kg of gold worth Rs 2,081 crore getting seized. In 2022-23, seizure of 2,776 kg of gold worth Rs 1,382 crore was made. In 2021-22, about 1,240 kg of gold worth Rs 572 crore was seized at the airports. The minister said Customs field formations are regularly sensitised to newer methods of smuggling. "On detection of gold smuggling cases, action is taken in accordance wi