"Eleven passengers had concealed some 32 to 50 grams each in their rectums. Another 17 had hidden gold in their luggage," said a senior Directorate of Revenue Intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity. (Reuters)

NEW DELHI: Gold smugglers are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to get the metal past customs, Indian officials say, after nearly a dozen people were caught with bullion stashed in their rectums. India is the world’s second-largest consumer of gold and smuggling has been increasing since duties were raised on the precious metal, an essential part of religious festivals and weddings.

Customs officials acting on a tip-off Sunday detained a group of crafty gold mules as their plane from Sri Lanka touched down in the southern city of Madurai. “Eleven passengers had concealed some 32 to 50 grams each in their rectums. Another 17 had hidden gold in their luggage,” a senior Directorate of Revenue Intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.