Irishman held in India on alleged bid to bring in €350,000 of gold

An Irish national was arrested at Kochi international airport in southern India late on Tuesday night for allegedly trying to smuggle 10kg of gold into the country.

Customs commissioner K N Raghavan told The Irish Times by telephone from Kochi that the Irish citizen, who landed from Dubai on an Emirates Airlines flight, allegedly had gold bars hidden in his waistcoat, jacket and trouser pockets.

The estimated value in India of the 24-carat gold bars allegedly recovered is about €350,000.

“The passenger was intercepted at the exit gate of the arrival hall [at Kochi airport] on suspicion that he was carrying contraband goods,” Mr Raghavan said.

The man denied he was carrying any gold or other precious items when questioned by suspicious customs officials, who had been alerted earlier that a passenger from Dubai would try and smuggle in a large quantity of gold.

Secreted in clothing

A search, however, allegedly revealed the gold bars secreted in his clothing, Mr Raghavan said.

He said the man had travelled from Dubai to Kochi on at least three occasions in recent months and was being questioned.

The commissioner said this was the first case he knew of where a European had been apprehended for allegedly trying to smuggle in gold.

It was not immediately known whether the arrested man was travelling on a business or tourist visa.

This is the second such arrest of a foreigner at Kochi airport.

In February, a Sri Lankan national was arrested with 500g of gold secreted in a condom in his abdomen.

Smuggling gold into India from Dubai, where it is much cheaper, is not unknown, as demand for the precious metal in the country is seemingly limitless, especially in Kerala state where Kochi is located.

Gold markets

Elaborate gold markets stretch for miles in many Kerala towns which are invariably packed with eager buyers.

According to the World Gold Council’s latest gold report, India remains the world’s largest consumer of gold and continually rising domestic demand for jewellery determines global prices of the precious metal.

This demand soars during the ongoing monsoon season and the period afterwards seen as auspicious for weddings.

In 2011, for instance, India consumed 933 tons of gold compared with global demand for 4,067 tons. That translates to 23 per cent of total global gold purchases.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of a case involving an Irish citizen in India and is “providing consular assistance through our Embassy in New Delhi”.