DRI busts gold smuggling networks, seizes 42 kg gold worth Rs 65 crore
DRI seizes 42 kg foreign-origin gold and 10 kg silver worth Rs 65 crore; 25 arrested in multi-city crackdown.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled multiple gold smuggling syndicates in a coordinated crackdown across the country, seizing over 42 kg of foreign-origin gold and around 10 kg of silver, collectively valued at more than Rs 65 crore. Twenty-five persons, including five foreign nationals, have been arrested in the intelligence-led operations conducted over recent days.
At Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, DRI unearthed a syndicate involving foreign nationals transiting from Dubai, Bangkok, and Male, along with an airport staff member who facilitated the clandestine removal of smuggled gold. Sixteen capsules containing 6.85 kg of 24-carat gold dust in wax form were recovered, leading to the arrest of six persons, including the five foreign nationals and the airport employee.
In Kolkata, two separate operations at NSCBI Airport resulted in significant seizures. Passengers arriving from Dubai were found with 4.87 kg of gold concealed in undergarments and jeans in semi-solid paste form, which was later melted into bars. Another passenger arriving from Bangkok was intercepted with 3.36 kg of foreign-origin gold in the form of 11 raw chains. Both cases resulted in arrests.
In coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), DRI seized 125 foreign-origin gold bars weighing 15.61 kg from a woman's residence in Nadia district, West Bengal. The woman admitted to involvement in smuggling activities and was arrested. Two more seizures along the Indo-Bangladesh border yielded 935 grams and 1.74 kg of gold, with one arrest in each case.
Kerala also witnessed major operations. At Cochin International Airport, 1.78 kg of gold in compound form was extracted from a passenger arriving from Ras Al Khaimah. At Calicut International Airport, 549 grams of 24-carat gold was discovered in cavities inside an iron box carried by a passenger from Jeddah. Both passengers were arrested.
Other seizures included 1.48 kg of gold paste recovered from four persons in Kolkata, 3.84 kg of gold bars in Guwahati, and 1.36 kg of gold along with 9.99 kg of silver in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, smuggled via the coastal route from Sri Lanka. The operations highlight the diverse modus operandi employed by smugglers, including body concealment, specially fabricated vehicle cavities, and exploitation of transit passengers and airport personnel.