How much gold can Indians bring from abroad? Know the rules
Indian media often hears reports of smuggling of gold from Gulf countries, especially from Dubai. Kannada and Tamil film actress Ranya Rao were arrested by the Revenue Intelligence Department on Tuesday with Ranya Rao was arrested by the Revenue Intelligence Department 14.8 kg of gold while returning from Dubai.
Its value is said to be around Rs 12 crore. Ranya Rao arrived at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru with gold.
Smuggling of gold from Gulf countries
Earlier in 2020, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs had seized 30 kg (66 pounds) of 24-carat gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic bag at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
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After this, there was turmoil in Kerala politics. M Sivasankar, Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came under the circle of this smuggling and had to resign from his post.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
Indian people have a different craze for gold and secondly it is also a solid means of investment. This is the reason why India is at the top in the world in terms of the number of gold buyers.
> In India, tax is levied on the actual price of gold. Due to this its price becomes very high.
> This is the reason why tourists who go to Gulf countries often buy gold from here. There is no tax on gold here.
> Due to no tax, the price of gold becomes much lower than in India. The low price of gold attracts everyone.
> On March 5, 2025, the price of 10 grams of 24 carat gold in the United Arab Emirates was Rs 83,670. Whereas in India it was Rs 87,980.
Due to no tax, the price of gold becomes much lower than in India
After coming from abroad, information has to be given at the airport about bringing gold more than the prescribed limit, if someone hides it, then it is considered smuggling.
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Any man can bring 20 grams, and any woman can bring 40 grams of gold from abroad. It is free from customs duty.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has fixed a fee for bringing gold for everyone.
You can bring any amount of gold by paying the fee.
Children below 15 years of age are also allowed to bring 40 grams of gold. For this, relationship has to be proved.
According to the Passport Act 1967, Indian citizens (jewellery, bars and coins) can bring all types of gold.
Why is gold smuggled?
The biggest reason for smuggling of gold from Gulf countries is its low price. Here the government does not levy tax on gold. Due to this, its price goes down.
On the other hand, if we talk about India, the tax on gold here is very high. Due to this, the price of gold becomes much higher than the actual price.
The desire to buy cheap gold and sell it in India opens the way for smuggling. This has been an old topic in the world of crime.
Underworld kingpins Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim used to smuggle gold through the sea route, while now new methods of smuggling are coming to light every day.
Where does most of the smuggled gold come from?
Most of the gold in the country comes from the United Arab Emirates. After this Myanmar is at second place. Apart from this, smugglers also bring gold from some African countries.
If DRI officials are to be believed, only 10 percent of the smuggled gold is caught. CBIC had seized about 4,869.6 kg of gold in 2023-24.
Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are at the forefront in the case of gold smuggling. About 60 percent of the smuggling cases are registered here.
Regarding gold smuggling, CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal had recently said that smuggling has reduced after increasing the import duty from 15 to six percent.
Summary
If anyone is caught smuggling gold, then a case will be filed under various sections. If found guilty in this, a fine of Rs 5 lakh, life imprisonment and life ban on foreign travel can also be imposed.
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