Organised crime gangs have abandoned drugs and are now smuggling saffron across borders in parts of the world as illegal trade of the spice has become more lucrative than gold. A widening gap in prices of the commodity between countries has fuelled a rise in criminals turning to the seasoning as an easy way to make money.

The trend is being driven by the fact that while saffron costs around £1,100 per kilo in Iran, it fetches double that figure in India. Prices have soared in India as dwindling domestic yields have caused demand to outstrip supply.

Saffron is imported legally from Iran, but criminals have turned to smuggling in order to avoid high import duties and reap the rewards of inflated prices in India.