Kerala Police seize 150 kg of gold, confiscate Rs 123 cr in 5 years

Over the past five years, Kerala Police have seized 150 kg of gold worth Rs 81 crore and confiscated Rs 123 crore in illegal hawala money. This is part of an ongoing effort to tackle smuggling in the state. Reports say CM Pinarayi Vijayan has ordered strict action against gold smuggling networks, leading to these significant recoveries.

Despite major gold seizures, recent controversies have accused CM Vijayan and his office of involvement in smuggling. The CPI(M) government denies these claims and has provided data to support their actions. ADGP Ajith Kumar, who also faces smuggling allegations, stated that smuggler mafias are behind the accusations.

Kerala Police data shows that 188 gold smuggling cases have been registered over the last five years, with 147.79 kg of gold seized. Since 2020, 337 hawala cases have been reported, leading to the confiscation of Rs 122.55 crore.

Last year, authorities at Kozhikode airport seized 298 kg of gold worth nearly Rs 200 crore—270 kg by customs and 28 kg by police. The largest seizure was in 2022, with 80 kg of gold confiscated in 98 cases. In 2023, this dropped to 49 kg across 61 cases, and 18 kg has been seized so far this year. Hawala fund detection peaked in 2023 with 94 cases involving Rs 39 crore, compared to 67 cases worth Rs 35.5 crore in 2022. This year, 67 cases amounting to Rs 150 crore have already been detected.