Trying to smuggle gold into India man swallows $23,000 worth in bars

Twelve gold bars weighing nearly a pound and worth US$23,000 were found inside the stomach of an Indian businessman who tried smuggling the precious metal into the country from Singapore.

According to The Indian Express the 63-year-old man visited a hospital in New Delhi earlier this month, saying he had swallowed the cap of a water bottle and wanted it removed.

Doctors soon operated after he repeatedly vomited and complained of sharp abdominal pain, and later found the bars.

We were shocked when gold biscuits came out of his abdomen during the operation,” the surgeon told the newspaper. “But I am at least happy that I could save his life. If it had stayed inside for couple of more days, it would have led to severe bleeding and rupture of the intestine and septicaemia. Moreover, he had severe diabetes.”

Gold smuggling into India has increased dramatically since the nation hiked its import duty on the yellow metal from 4% to 15% last year, with the customs department at the Delhi airport saying it seized 352kg of gold by the end of 2013, 52 times more than the previous year.

Officials estimate that only a 12th part of all the gold smuggled through the airport is detected, The Times of India reports.

Read More: www.mining.com/trying-to-smuggle-gold-into-india-man-swallows-23000-worth-bars-16529/