DRI busts gold smuggling syndicate; seizes 15 kg foreign-origin gold in operations at multiple locations

New Delhi [India], June 26 : In a major crackdown against the smuggling of foreign-origin gold, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has successfully unearthed and dismantled a highly organised gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai Airport.
As per the official release, in this operation, DRI detected and busted a gold melting facility that was being used for melting foreign-origin smuggled gold.
A total of nine persons involved across the entire smuggling chain, including the airport staff, her handler, three intermediaries, the melting facility operator, and three persons engaged in the melting process, have been arrested. Further, about 6 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold recovered at the spot has been seized.
This case underscores the evolving sophistication of organised gold smuggling syndicates, which increasingly exploit insider access at airports and employ layered distribution networks to evade detection.
In another operation at Bengaluru, DRI seized 1.8 kg of 24 KT gold in paste form ingeniously concealed within the layers of garments of an international passenger. Subsequent follow-up search at his residential premises led to seizure of around 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, 45 kg of silver, and Indian & foreign currencies. The person was arrested.

Earlier this week, DRI conducted a series of operations at other airports, railway stations and land customs stations at Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Vishakhapatnam, Guwahati and Petrapole, leading to the cumulative seizure of another 6 kg foreign-origin smuggled gold. Five people have been arrested in these operations.

Overall, with the busting of the gold smuggling syndicate, these operations resulted in the seizure of about 15 kg of gold, 45 kg of silver, valued at around Rs 23 crore, and the arrest of 15 persons.