The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has confiscated more than 27 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold and apprehended 12 individuals in a series of intelligence-led operations nationwide. The crackdown, as per the Finance Ministry’s statement, exposed various concealment methods like hiding gold in aircraft lavatories, vehicles, utensils, and on passengers. This highlights the evolving strategies of organized gold smuggling networks.
In a significant seizure at Mumbai airport, DRI officers intercepted three passengers from Addis Ababa and found six foreign-origin gold bars weighing approximately 12 kg concealed in the aircraft’s rear lavatory ceiling panels. The passengers had hidden the gold for retrieval by airport staff, leading to their arrest and the seizure of the contraband. Another operation in Mumbai uncovered a syndicate hiding 3.7 kg of gold dust in wax form inside an aircraft lavatory, resulting in the arrest of five individuals.
In Uttar Pradesh, a woman on the Brahmaputra Mail was caught with 42 foreign-origin gold bars weighing around 5 kg concealed in a waist belt and handbag. She admitted to smuggling the gold through Bangladesh, leading to her arrest and the seizure of the gold. Additionally, DRI operations in Kolkata, Cochin, and Guwahati led to the recovery of around 2 kg of foreign-origin gold each. These coordinated efforts aim to disrupt organized gold smuggling networks and prevent the illegal entry of precious metals into the country.
