Posted: 04 Dec 2013 02:32 AM PST

From:http://gold.jrj.com.cn/2013/12/04084516270105.shtml

由于印度政府限制黄金进口以控制该国经常账户赤字（CAD），印度国内黄金供应短缺，黄金走私甚至用起了毒品走私的方式。

斯里兰卡、泰国以及新加坡成为继迪拜之后走私黄金到印度的几大来源。而印度官方的应对方式则是给予对黄金走私告发者高于告发毒品走私的奖赏。

孟买空军情报部官员Kiran Kumar Karlapu称："走私黄金的利润变地越来越高，在政府今年的限制措施后，黄金走私量翻了几番，超过了毒品走私。"

印度官员称目前进入印度的走私黄金之多是从来没有过的。

世界黄金协会（WGC）预计2013年走私进入印度的黄金将达150至200吨。

自今年4月至9月，印度海关截获的黄金走私量就已经几乎是2012年全年的两倍。

"尽管被截获的走私黄金增加了，但我们认为这只是整个走私量的1%到2%，"一位印度税收官员称，"迪拜是最大的走私黄金来源，新加坡进入的走私量在增加，斯里兰卡的也越来越多。"

印度政府为控制CAD，今年三度调高黄金进口关税，目前的黄金进口关税为10%，而金饰进口关税则为15%。受到限制，今年10月印度黄金进口量仅24吨，与5月的162吨相差非常大。

目前印度已和周边国家合作开展控制黄金走私。上周，斯里兰卡限制国民带出国金饰的数量，并且会监管是否将金饰带回国。巴基斯坦则在8月禁止黄金进口一个月。

印度海关官员称黄金走私者正变得越来越创新。6月时曾有一名从迪拜飞往新德里的乘客携带1.7磅被涂成棕色的黄金钉子。还有很多走私者则将黄金藏在内衣中。

11月底曾有56名斯里兰卡人因走私12公斤黄金而在Kochi被截住。由于像印度走私黄金严重，斯里兰卡在6月至11月提高了黄金进口关税，上周宣布女性只能佩戴120克金饰登机，男性被允许的量则仅为40克。并且海关将监管其是否将带出国的金饰带回来。

为控制走私，印度海关为每抓获1公斤走私黄金将给予800美元的奖励，超过了抓获可卡因和海洛因的奖励。

Source:http://gold.jrj.com.cn/2013/12/04084516270105.shtml

4 December 2013 - In India, smugglers move gold like narcotics

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 02:25 AM PST

From:http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-in-india-smugglers-move-gold-like-narcotics/20131204.htm?#3

Indian gold smugglers are adopting the methods of drug couriers to sidestep a government crackdown on imports of the precious metal, stashing gold in imported vehicles and even using mules who swallow nuggets to try to get them past airport security.

Stung by rules imposed this year to cut a high trade deficit and a record duty on imports, dealers and individual customers are fanning out across Asia to buy gold and sneak it back into the country.

Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore are the latest hotspots as authorities crack down on travellers from Dubai, the traditional source of smuggled gold.

In a sign of the times, whistleblowers who help bust illegal gold shipments can get a bigger reward in India than those who help catch cocaine and heroin smugglers.

"Gold and narcotics operate as two different syndicates but gold smuggling has become more profitable and fashionable," said Kiran Kumar Karlapu, an official at Mumbai's Air Intelligence Unit.

"There has been a several-fold increase in gold smuggling this year after restrictions from the government, which has left narcotics behind."

From travellers laden head-to-toe in jewellery to passengers who conceal carbon-wrapped gold pieces in their bodies -- in the mistaken belief that metal detectors will not be set off -- Indians are smuggling in more bullion than ever, government officials say, driven by the country's insatiable demand for the metal.

That suggests official data showing a sharp fall in gold buying, which has helped narrow India's current account gap, may significantly underestimate the real level of gold flows.

The World Gold Council estimates that 150 to 200 tonnes of smuggled gold will enter India in 2013, on top of the 900 tonnes of official demand.

Between April to September alone, India's customs officials seized nearly double the amount of smuggled gold it nabbed in all of 2012.

"Though the quantum of seizures has increased, in our opinion it reflects only 1 to 2 percent of total smuggling," said a revenue intelligence officer in Mumbai who declined to be named.

"Dubai is still the number one place from where gold gets in and Singapore is slowly emerging. Sri Lanka has become a staging point."

Grappling with a high trade deficit and weak currency, India imposed measures this year to crimp demand for gold, the second most expensive item on its import bill after oil.

It imposed a 10-per cent duty on bullion and a 15-per cent tariff on jewellery. Imports plunged to 24 tonnes in October from a record 162 tonnes in May.

SUPPLY CRUNCH

Gold is an integral part of Indian culture, offered at weddings and festivals.

India was the world's biggest gold consumer until last year but will be overtaken by China in 2013.

India has now stepped up cooperation with nearby countries to stem the smuggling.

Last week, Sri Lanka limited the amount of jewellery its residents can take out of the country and it will try to monitor whether they bring it back.

Pakistan banned all gold imports in August for a month as it believed much was being smuggled on into India.

Indian gold premiums have soared to $130 an ounce over London prices due to the supply crunch, compared with about $2 an ounce in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

Banks and other official trading agencies in Singapore and Thailand that had supplied gold to their Indian counterparts have stopped due to India's new rules.

But smaller dealers and retailers say they have been selling more to Indian customers than ever before, in jewellery and other forms.

Brian Lan, managing director of Singapore-based dealer GoldSilver Central Pte Ltd, said he has sold about 10 kg (22 lbs) of gold to a single Indian customer and gets multiple similarly big orders on some days.

"We have Indian dealers buying from us directly on a regular basis," said a second Singapore dealer.

"They say they have their own means of taking it in without getting caught."

GOLDEN STAPLES, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

As customs officials at airports and borders get more vigilant, smugglers are innovating.

In June, a passenger flying from Dubai was caught at New Delhi airport with about 755 grams (1.7 lbs) of solid gold staples painted grey.

Officials stopped the man because the cardboard boxes he was carrying were stapled far more than seemed necessary.

In several other cases, travellers have been caught with gold in their underwear.

Flight attendants and police officers have been arrested for aiding the smugglers.

"We are trying to plug all the loopholes.

"We have strengthened our anti-smuggling staff and installed door metal detectors," said SAS Navaz, deputy commissioner of customs in the south Indian city of Kochi.

"We are spending sleepless nights.

"Most of the time, it is done with the support of (airport) staff. It is very difficult to keep an eye on everyone."

In late November, 56 Sri Lankans were held in Kochi after they were found with nearly 12 kg of gold.

Some of them had travelled to Kochi six times last month.

Sri Lanka, which raised taxes on gold imports from June to November due to rising smuggling to India, last week said female residents could only fly out with 120 grams of jewellery, the equivalent of about 28 wedding bands.

Men are allowed a third of that.

Customs officials may allow exceptions but will monitor if passengers bring back the same amount of gold they left with.

"In the last three to four months, we have seen several cases of gold smuggling from Sri Lanka to India through cities such as Mumbai, Kochi and Chennai," Leslie Gamini, a spokesman for Sri Lankan customs, said from Colombo.

"It is a very difficult task.

"But we have to implement it.

"We are in the process of developing guidelines on how to implement this."

Though the number of arrests made in India has increased, those that get caught are usually only the 'carriers' who transport gold for as little as 10,000 rupees.

The people behind the smuggling are rarely identified.

In an effort to change that, Mumbai customs offers a reward of up to 50,000 rupees per kg of bullion seized for informers in gold smuggling cases.

Cocaine and heroin informers get only up to 40,000 rupees and 20,000 rupees respectively.

Source:http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-in-india-smugglers-move-gold-like-narcotics/20131204.htm?#3

3 December 2013 - 黄金市场看好中国需求

Posted: 04 Dec 2013 02:20 AM PST

From:http://gold.hexun.com/2013-12-02/160221898.html

11月中旬，世界黄金协会发布数据：2013年7月~9月，中国的黄金需求较去年同期增长18%，达到209.6吨。而受卢比贬值和进口限制措施影响，印度的黄金需求同比下滑32%，跌至148.2吨。而今年第三季度，中国黄金首饰需求增长接近30%，达到163.7吨，超过印度104.7吨的需求量。这些数据说明中国不仅成为全球最大的黄金首饰市场，而且已经超越了印度，成为世界第一大黄金消费国。

　　国内黄金需求旺盛

　　世界黄金协会日前表示，金饰需求在第三季度亚洲市场有很大上涨，其中中国大陆地区金饰需求增长29%，中国香港地区需求增长28%，越南需求增长14%，泰国需求增长57%，印尼需求增长10%。世界黄金协会还预计，第四季度黄金需求将继续旺盛。

　　近日，加拿大非常有名的斯普罗特资产管理公司(Sprott)首席施行官埃里克·斯普罗特写了一封给世界黄金协会的公开信，指出进出口数字显示亚洲地区对黄金的需求远高于世界黄金协会的估计，尤其是中国、泰国、印度和土耳其。据了解，这两种统计方法有所不同：Sprott统计的是一个国家究竟净进口了多少黄金，不考虑其用途。而世界黄金协会则要明确每种用途所用到的黄金量，而这势必会受到市场透明度缺乏等因素的影响。根据Sprott统计，2013年前9个月中国大陆和香港全部的黄金需求达2130.7吨，全年将达2814吨。而世界黄金协会的同期统计则分别为818.6吨和1091.5吨。

　　在刚过去的感恩节期间，上海黄金交易所交易黄金量达18.3吨，是自10月8日以来最多的一天。而由于中国市场实物黄金需求增加，11月28日当天的金价在经历两个交易日的下跌后有所上涨。

　　而市场上对于中国需求提振金价也有较为乐观的预期。澳新银行商品分析师维克托预计称，由于受到中国强劲的实物需求推动，金价在2014年年底将触及1450美元/盎司，会比当前价格水平高16%。花旗集团研究部门也表示，由于受到美联储缩减量化宽松规模的影响，2014年年初金价可能会下跌，但由于中国买家随后持续买盘，将在一定程度上支撑金价。花旗集团研究部门表示，中国的实物需求是支撑黄金市场价格的关键因素，这将对金价构成托底。花旗预计2014年黄金的平均价格将为1255美元/盎司。

　　进口或远超预期？

　　中国具体进口了多少黄金？这一数字一直以来很难有十分确切的估计。近期，路透社对世界贸易信息服务股份公司数据进行计算之后，公布信息称，由于金价在今年下滑了约25%，中国市场对黄金的采购力度加大，这就使得中国至少直接进口了133吨黄金。而这项数据并不包括中央银行采购的黄金数量，路透表示，这意味着中国真正的黄金购买规模更大。

　　今年早些时候，全球知名贵金属咨询公司GFMS曾通过世界黄金协会（WGC）预计，中国今年的黄金进口量将在1000吨左右。但有数据显示，中国大陆单单通过香港，就可能在今年进口黄金达1100吨。而路透则估计中国今年的黄金进口量将超过1200吨。矿业网(Mineweb)驻荷兰分析师詹森表示，如果按照惯例只统计从香港运到中国大陆的黄金数量，这个数据可能并不准确，因为目前还有从国外直接进口到中国大陆的黄金。詹森称，至今年9月17日上海黄金交易所实物黄金交割为1546吨，以此计算全年量将达2180吨。这个数字减去中国全年黄金产量430吨，那么中国今年的黄金进口量就是1750吨。

Source:http://gold.hexun.com/2013-12-02/160221898.html