DRI Busts Gold Smuggling Syndicate in Gujarat; 3 Arrested, 13 Kg Gold Worth ₹19.41 Crore Involved
Ahmedabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled an organised gold-smuggling syndicate operating through Ahmedabad and Surat airports, uncovering dealings involving 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹19.41 crore. Three persons have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers conducted coordinated searches over 42 hours beginning October 16, 2026. The investigation uncovered an alleged network involving air passengers who smuggled gold into India, handlers who collected it after arrival, intermediaries, an illegal gold-melting facility in Vadodara and a jewellery outlet in Ahmedabad.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the gold was allegedly concealed using several methods, including thin rhodium-coated gold wires, gold hidden in the inner linings of trolley bags and gold paste concealed within the bags’ inner shells. After arriving at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad and Surat International Airport, passengers allegedly handed over the gold to handlers outside the airports.
The gold was then routed through intermediaries to an unauthorised melting facility in Vadodara. The melted gold was allegedly supplied to a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad for sale against cash.
During the operation, the DRI seized around 890 grams of gold and recovered evidence relating to 6.41 kg of illegally melted gold. Further searches at the jewellery outlet led to the recovery of undocumented foreign-origin gold bars and records of transactions involving around 5.8 kg of smuggled gold. Investigators linked these dealings to a separate handler associated with the syndicate’s Dubai-based financier.
The investigation identified the alleged roles of passengers, handlers, intermediaries, the melting facility operator and the jewellery trade channel in moving and disposing of the smuggled gold. The financier, the operator of the melting unit and other key persons were identified during the probe.
The DRI said the operation targeted the entire alleged supply chain, from concealment and airport movement to melting, financing and sale in the domestic market. Further investigation is underway.
