Customs’ holes a boon for smugglers
The first responders at border points like international airports or land borders are customs officers. However, it appears that those tasked with being our first line of defense haven’t fully grasped the motivations behind gold smuggling. It’s crucial for these officers to comprehend the mechanics of smuggling before addressing it, and this gap in understanding is significant.
Furthermore, suspicions have arisen regarding the involvement of customs officers themselves in certain gold smuggling cases. This raises questions about their integrity and contributes to the escalation of smuggling activities. Our customs system is largely manual and lags in technological advancements. When these human resources go corrupt, it becomes easier for smugglers to operate. Additionally, the Immigration and Customs Departments have not adequately developed profiles of smugglers, making it easier for them to go undetected.
These factors serve as strong motivations for smugglers, showing that stringent laws alone are insufficient in curbing smuggling.
The author is a former DIG of Nepal Police
Let police dig into dirty gold
Gold is smuggled in Nepal to fulfill the demands for the yellow metal within the country and in India. Reports suggest India has an annual gap of 400 tons in demand and supply of gold. Whereas Nepal needs 40 kg of gold daily, it gets just 20 kg. Smuggling fills these gaps.
India is the largest private gold holding country.
We may step up border security, but then smugglers change their modus operandi and use new routes for smuggling. We must be able to catch smugglers within the country and punish all guilty parties.
Governments in the past used to help with gold smuggling through airport handling companies and mechanisms. It’s obvious that smugglers enjoy political protection nowadays as well.
Nepal Police must be allowed to investigate such cases because it constantly monitors new channels of smuggling and the Department of Revenue Investigation lacks the capacity to probe the cases.
The author is former DIG of Nepal Police
