DRI Busts Major Gold Smuggling Syndicate at Mumbai Airport, Seizes ₹12.58 Crore Gold
New Delhi, 11 Oct 2025 – As per PIB’s release, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 10.488 kg of 24K gold worth ₹12.58 crore at Mumbai Airport, dismantling a transnational smuggling syndicate involving foreign nationals and airport staff under “Operation Golden Sweep”.
Key Highlights:
- 13 arrests made including 2 Bangladeshi, 6 Sri Lankan nationals, 2 airport staff, 2 handlers, and the mastermind.
- Gold smuggling executed via transit passengers from Dubai to Singapore, Bangkok, and Dhaka, carrying gold in egg-shaped wax capsules.
- Complicit airport staff helped remove smuggled gold from premises and passed it to handlers coordinating with the mastermind.
- Syndicate operated by Mumbai- and Dubai-based masterminds, using multiple layers of participants for concealment and transport.
- Operation highlights DRI’s intelligence capabilities, swift enforcement, and the risk of insider threats in critical infrastructure.
| Category | Number of Persons | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Nationals | 8 | Carriers/Participants |
| Airport Staff | 2 | Complicit Handlers |
| Handlers | 2 | Coordination |
| Mastermind | 1 | Syndicate Leader |
This operation underscores India’s vigilant enforcement against evolving smuggling methods and emphasizes the need to secure sensitive transit infrastructure. DRI continues to safeguard economic and national security interests.
Source : Ministry of Finance , PIB
