DRI Seizes ₹10.75 Crore Worth of Smuggled Gold at Mumbai Airport, Six Arrested
Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an alleged gold-smuggling network at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, seizing 6.85 kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹10.75 crore and arresting six people, officials said.
The arrested individuals include five Bangladeshi nationals travelling as transit passengers and a private airline ground staffer, who investigators suspect was involved in helping move the smuggled gold out of the airport.
The seizure was made during an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DRI’s Mumbai zonal unit. According to officials, the operation was internally code-named ‘Operation Midnight Goldstrike’.
Gold hidden in wax-filled capsules
The investigation began after DRI officers received specific information about a suspected smuggling operation at the airport. Acting on the intelligence, officers intercepted a private ground staff member working for an airline through a third-party agency as he was leaving the airport.
During a search, officials allegedly recovered seven capsules containing 24-carat gold dust concealed in wax. The discovery prompted investigators to question the staffer about how the gold had entered the airport and who else might be involved.
According to the DRI, questioning led officers to a group of transit passengers allegedly connected to the operation. The agency subsequently intercepted the other suspected members and recovered nine additional capsules.
In total, the DRI recovered 16 capsules containing 6.85 kg of gold dust in wax form, with an estimated value of approximately ₹10.75 crore.
Transit passengers allegedly used to move gold
Investigators suspect that the group was part of a larger network that allegedly used international transit passengers to move gold through Mumbai.
Officials said the passengers were travelling on routes connecting Dubai, Bangkok and Male through Mumbai. The DRI is now examining the exact role played by each accused and how the alleged network was organised.
The agency is also investigating where the gold originated and who was supposed to receive it after it was taken out of the airport.
Six people arrested
The DRI arrested all six suspects following the seizure. The accused comprise five Bangladeshi nationals and one private airline ground staff employee.
The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, and further investigation is underway to identify other people who may have been involved in the alleged smuggling operation.
The case also highlights the challenges faced by enforcement agencies in detecting sophisticated smuggling methods at busy international airports, particularly when transit passengers and airport-linked personnel are allegedly used to move contraband.
The DRI continues to investigate the suspected network, including the source of the gold, its intended recipients and the possible involvement of additional individuals.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
