New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 42 kg of foreign-origin gold and around 10 kg of silver, collectively valued at over ₹65 crore, in a series of intelligence-led operations across the country.
The crackdown, carried out in Kolkata, Mumbai, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and other locations, has resulted in the arrest of 25 people, including five foreign nationals, the DRI said.
Investigators uncovered several sophisticated methods allegedly used by smuggling networks, including concealment in specially fabricated vehicle and luggage cavities, body concealment, use of transit passengers and airport personnel, and movement through land and coastal routes.
Mumbai airport syndicate busted
In a major operation at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on August 28-29, the DRI busted an alleged syndicate involving foreign nationals travelling through Mumbai from destinations including Dubai, Bangkok and Male.
Officials recovered 16 capsules containing 6.85 kg of 24-carat gold dust in wax form. Six people, including five foreign nationals and an airport staff member, were arrested.
The investigation indicated that the network allegedly used transit passengers and airport personnel to facilitate the clandestine removal of smuggled gold.
23.84 kg gold seized in Kolkata, Bengal
The DRI also conducted multiple operations in Kolkata and West Bengal.
At NSCBI Airport, 4.87 kg of gold was recovered from two passengers arriving from Dubai. The gold-containing paste was allegedly concealed in their undergarments and jeans before being extracted and seized in bar form.
In another operation involving a passenger arriving from Bangkok, officers seized 3.36 kg of foreign-origin gold in the form of 11 raw chains. Two passengers were arrested.
In Nadia district, the DRI, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), seized 15.61 kg of foreign-origin gold bars recovered from a woman’s residence in Banpur village. She was subsequently arrested.
Gold seized in Kerala, Assam and Tamil Nadu
At Cochin International Airport, DRI officers recovered 1.78 kg of gold allegedly concealed on a passenger arriving from Ras Al Khaimah.
At Calicut International Airport, 549 grams of 24-carat foreign-origin gold was allegedly found hidden inside specially created cavities in the heavy alloy portion of an iron box carried by a passenger from Jeddah.
The DRI also seized 1.48 kg of gold in paste form from four people in Kolkata, allegedly concealed in capsules carried inside their bodies during a domestic road journey. Four persons and their alleged handler were arrested.
In Guwahati, officials seized 3.84 kg of foreign-origin gold bars allegedly smuggled through the Indo-Bangladesh border and arrested two people.
In Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, DRI officers seized 1.36 kg of foreign-origin gold and 9.99 kg of foreign-origin silver, allegedly smuggled through the coastal route from Sri Lanka. Three people were arrested.
The latest seizures highlight the changing methods adopted by organised gold-smuggling networks and the DRI’s continued efforts to disrupt their supply chains and financial operations.
