[johannskaria]

Smart start-up innovation in smuggling too.

The poor mini is going to rot!

Article Link

KOCHI: The Customs officials on Friday seized 7 kg of gold concealed in the petrol tank of BMW mini Cooper car imported from Dubai, in Kochi. The gold bars were concealed in the tank of the car in the form of 13 crude chains. The car was imported to Kochi through carnet de passage from Dubai.

Carnet de passage is a document that allows a person to cross international borders with a vehicle avoiding paying customs charges. It is basically a promise that the person will take the vehicle out of the country when he or she leave the country.

[karan561]

The chosen vehicle to do this job was the Mini Cooper just like the Italian Job, how Ironic

Good Job Indian Customs

[johannskaria]

Car :- Mini Convertible (last gen)
Value of Gold :- Rs 2 crore (approx)


Here is the car and the report in the local news channel.

https://youtu.be/J73c7CQSc4w

[Happysmiles]

Good job Indian customs.
What happens to all the confiscated gold?

Did the news reader say." Lee Cooper "?

[ajmat]

It was a stupid ploy bringing in a cheap car under carnet. Most cars coming in under carnet are exotics unless they are something being driven on a world tour. - it would trigger alarm bells.

A long time ago in the UK, a couple of VW Beetles were imported from Malaysia. The customs found this strange when you can pick one up for next to nothing. Cocaine was found in the tyres. Similarly, an old non running Jag X Type was imported from Pakistan for "repair". it was packed with drugs. More here

[nit787]

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[nishsingh]

Just out of curiosity, does the customs provide online notifications for confiscated vehicles being put on auction? The Mini Cooper in question should be a nice acquisition if the price is low enough.

[swiftnfurious]

I personally think that there may have been a tip off about the smuggling. I can't really digest the fact that the authorities checked the fuel tank diligently and found this. Anyone knows what are the kind of checks done on a car that comes in under CARNET?

And thanks to such stupid activities, it may also happen that the authorities stop such programs, as a crack down.

Originally Posted by nishsingh

Just out of curiosity, does the customs provide online notifications for confiscated vehicles being put on auction? The Mini Cooper in question should be a nice acquisition if the price is low enough.

The car is a LHD (Left Hand Drive) and hence it probably wouldn't be put on auction / sale.

[drhoneycake]

I think smuggling contraband items in cars is quite normal these days considering they must have run out of people and body parts to carry them.

But doing such an intensive check on a car that comes in into our country looks quite suspicious. I'm quite sure the smuggling might have been tipped off by someone.

Here's another interesting case that happened last year in UK. Guess cars these days are the best ways to smuggle items.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...le-37m-5309606


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[peterjim13]

Gold smuggling news has become an everyday news at Airports in Kerala.

They rely on mobile phone plating, watches, batteries etc to smuggle gold in. Also to note is the increased number of ME/UAE registered cars here. It has become that common that, you would see one such imported non Indian registered car every day or two .

Suspect how well these cars are being scanned.

[johannskaria]

Originally Posted by nishsingh

Just out of curiosity, does the customs provide online notifications for confiscated vehicles being put on auction? The Mini Cooper in question should be a nice acquisition if the price is low enough.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

And thanks to such stupid activities, it may also happen that the authorities stop such programs, as a crack down.


The car is a LHD (Left Hand Drive) and hence it probably wouldn't be put on auction / sale.

Stopping these programmes because of one off instances is highly unlikely.

If auctioned off,wouldn't the country in which the car is registered create a problem for the new owner?
If anyone knows the legalities in such situation it would be really helpful!

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by drhoneycake

But doing such an intensive check on a car that comes in into our country looks quite suspicious. I'm quite sure the smuggling might have been tipped off by someone.

You are right, this catch was due to a tip off. The kingpins of smuggling are the ones behind such tip offs. My relative in customs told that once in a while, carriers are set up and customs officials " catch " them. The number of catches will be a fraction of those who escape. The system is rigged to the core, the catches are allowed to keep the officials in good books. These smugglers are having the last laugh. The media makes a big hullabaloo and the layman thinks that our officials are doing a big thing.

[Jaggu]

It is a clear case of tip off, the customs guy himself confirms that in the press conference. If not this would have indeed been an italian job lol

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by ajmat

It was a stupid ploy bringing in a cheap car under carnet.

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

My relative in customs told that once in a while, carriers are set up and customs officials " catch " them.

Connecting the dots, this seems delibrate. They dumped the 'cheap' car to rot in the yard.

[saion666]

Originally Posted by peterjim13

G Also to note is the increased number of ME/UAE registered cars here. It has become that common that, you would see one such imported non Indian registered car every day or two .

people are driving cars registered in other countries! and here we are being caught by RTOs for driving out-of-state cars.