- I Paid A Bribe
- 7 years ago
- 5561 views
Bribe paid at customs exit point
April 11th 2017. I had arrived on the EK528. Went through the immigration check and collected my luggage came to the customs point, met by a man in plain clothes asking passengers to put their luggage through the metal detector. put my hand baggage and checked in baggage had nothing to declare. Was directed towards the green channel exit.
Near the exit is a desk where usually a uniformed CISF guard stands and there are usually one or two plain clothes people sitting behind the desk collecting the customs stamp receipts/tokens from the bottom of the government of india landing/arrival cards provided to the passengers when arriving in india.
I walked up to the desk handed over the landing card, he tore the bottom part out and asked " Did you buy any gold in dubai??' I said no. Then it is "$50 usd" . I said i Don't have money on me, he said "how much you have give" i had indian currency from my previous trip before the notes were banned so i handed him 3 thousand rupee notes and he opens his jacket zip and asks me to put the money inside and zips it up. and i leave.
I came to india back in 2014 in october 10th same flight EK528. Same place different person, Asked the same question "did you buy Gold in Dubai??" I said " yes, since i bought i for my newly born niece and had the receipt and dubai duty free shopping bag. As usual walk through the immigration, collect the checked in baggage, put the luggage through metal detector be directed towards green channel exit, Same desk and Same question. Did you buy any gold?? yes, "then it is a $100usd". Again collects arrivals card tears off the bottom part and opens the jacket of the uniform for the passenger to deposit money. gives back passport and landing card simultaneously zipping up the jacket after the deposit is made.
We read in the newspapers that customs sleuths have apprehended gold smugglers,drug peddlers or whoever it is at the hyderabad airport RGIA, But it is unfortunate to say that the same officers or sleuths are unable to apprehend their own bribe seekers or currency collectors(as they don't accept INR, Anything other than INR is REQUIRED, NOT APPRECIATED). And it makes me wonder whether these people really catch the smugglers or just dress some one up to look lame and change their jacket deposits into legal tender.
And i still wonder to this day the guy to whom the jacket deposit as to be made all stands at a particular angle at the exit.