Stay open: Customs mustn’t let its green channel turn red

News Snapshot:

As reported, the government is working on a strategy to take down an illicit but sophisticated network of ‘ import carriers ’ at Indian air and seaports—a gang of smugglers, i.e., masquerading as regular tourists. Of late, there have been many reports of duty-evasion cases. Among those that caught public attention, a Kannada actor was stopped at Bengaluru airport allegedly trying to smuggle in more than 14kg of gold in March. Authorities not only have the usual suspects under watch, but also people with ‘special privileges’ at airports. ‘Import carriers’ are suspected of sneaking in illegal quantities of gold, electronic...