NewzVille Desk
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a major foreign-origin gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai Airport, seizing around 15 kg of smuggled gold and arresting 15 people in operations across multiple locations.
During the Mumbai operation, DRI uncovered a gold melting facility used to process smuggled foreign-origin gold. Around 6 kg of smuggled gold was recovered from the premises.
Nine people linked to the syndicate were arrested, including airport staff, a handler, three intermediaries, the operator of the melting facility and three individuals involved in the melting process. The agency said the case highlights the increasing sophistication of organised gold smuggling networks, which exploit insider access at airports and use layered distribution channels to evade detection.
In a separate operation at Bengaluru, DRI seized 1.8 kg of 24-carat gold in paste form concealed within the garments of an international passenger. Follow-up searches at the passenger’s residence led to the seizure of around 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, 45 kg of silver, and Indian and foreign currencies. The passenger was arrested.
Earlier this week, DRI also carried out operations at airports, railway stations and land customs stations in Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati and Petrapole, leading to the seizure of another 6 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold. Five more people were arrested in those operations.
Overall, the operations resulted in the seizure of around 15 kg of gold, 45 kg of silver valued at approximately ₹23 crore, and the arrest of 15 persons.
