BENGALURU: Attempts to smuggle out currency notes from Bengaluru to Bangkok have seen a steady rise in recent months, with large sums of US dollars, UK pounds, euros and Swiss francs, among other currencies, being intercepted by security personnel at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here.
According to reports, from February 1 to April 21, 2023, nine smugglers, including three from a family, were arrested at KIA, with foreign currency worth Rs 3.4 crore seized from them by investigating agencies. The currencies were all meant to be smuggled to Thailand.
Post-pandemic, tourism across the globe has picked up, especially to Thailand, and so has the demand for foreign currencies – particularly US dollars, British pounds, and euros. “Local gangs dealing in hawala saw tremendous business opportunity with a sudden resurgence in Bangkok-bound tourism post pandemic, and started sourcing foreign currency from different parts of the country, with Bengaluru emerging one of the key ports for currency smuggling,” said an investigating officer attached to the Bengaluru unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Recently, DRI busted multiple currency smuggling attempts through KIA by intercepting the smugglers minutes before they were to board flights to Bangkok.
On April 3, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, carrying out pre-departure checks at Bengaluru airport, noticed something unusual inside the handbags of a family of three, including a young son. “Further examination of the bags revealed large number of foreign currency notes – notably $83,500, 37,400 euros, 46,000 Swiss francs, and 12,690 Thai bahts.
“Purporting to be tourists, the family was trying to smuggle out Rs 1.4 crore of foreign currency to Bangkok, before being stopped by CISF and handed over to Bengaluru Customs sleuths,” a customs officer at KIA added.
Investigators suspect that hawala gangs in the city are hand-picking carriers to fly out of Bengaluru with currency notes after striking deals with gangs based in Thailand. “These currency smugglers are often backed by hawala dealers,” added another customs official at the airport.
According to reports, from February 1 to April 21, 2023, nine smugglers, including three from a family, were arrested at KIA, with foreign currency worth Rs 3.4 crore seized from them by investigating agencies. The currencies were all meant to be smuggled to Thailand.
Post-pandemic, tourism across the globe has picked up, especially to Thailand, and so has the demand for foreign currencies – particularly US dollars, British pounds, and euros. “Local gangs dealing in hawala saw tremendous business opportunity with a sudden resurgence in Bangkok-bound tourism post pandemic, and started sourcing foreign currency from different parts of the country, with Bengaluru emerging one of the key ports for currency smuggling,” said an investigating officer attached to the Bengaluru unit of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Recently, DRI busted multiple currency smuggling attempts through KIA by intercepting the smugglers minutes before they were to board flights to Bangkok.
On April 3, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, carrying out pre-departure checks at Bengaluru airport, noticed something unusual inside the handbags of a family of three, including a young son. “Further examination of the bags revealed large number of foreign currency notes – notably $83,500, 37,400 euros, 46,000 Swiss francs, and 12,690 Thai bahts.
“Purporting to be tourists, the family was trying to smuggle out Rs 1.4 crore of foreign currency to Bangkok, before being stopped by CISF and handed over to Bengaluru Customs sleuths,” a customs officer at KIA added.
Investigators suspect that hawala gangs in the city are hand-picking carriers to fly out of Bengaluru with currency notes after striking deals with gangs based in Thailand. “These currency smugglers are often backed by hawala dealers,” added another customs official at the airport.
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