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DRI Busts Major Gold Smuggling Syndicate, Seizes Gold Worth Rs 19.4 Crore
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News18•19-10-2026, 17:45
DRI Busts Major Gold Smuggling Syndicate, Seizes Gold Worth Rs 19.4 Crore
- •The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately Rs 19.41 crore in a 42-hour operation.
- •The syndicate operated through Ahmedabad and Surat airports, using creative concealment methods like rhodium-coated gold wires and gold paste.
- •Smuggled gold was illegally melted in Vadodara and supplied to a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad for cash sales.
- •Three persons have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, while key handlers based in Dubai and facility operators have been identified.
- •In separate operations, the DRI also seized significant quantities of amphetamine and cocaine across major airports, arresting three additional individuals.
Key Questions Answered
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 19.41 crore during operations conducted over 42 hours starting October 16.
Passengers used concealment methods such as rhodium-coated gold wires, gold hidden in trolley bag linings, and gold paste. The smuggled gold was handed over to handlers, illegally melted in Vadodara, and then supplied to a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad for cash sales.
Three persons were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, in connection with the gold smuggling syndicate. Additionally, another three persons were arrested following the seizure of amphetamine and cocaine during separate DRI operations at airports in Bengaluru and New Delhi, as well as near Nagpur.
