The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, a unit under the Ministry of Finance, has announced the seizure of more than 42 kilograms of foreign gold worth over Rs. 65 crore across multiple states. The agency arrested 25 people, including 5 foreign nationals, in a series of coordinated operations in recent days. The crackdown targeted smuggling networks operating through airports, land borders and coastal routes.
The operations and what was seized
The DRI carried out intelligence-based raids across Kolkata, Mumbai, Kerala and other locations between 26 August and 29 August 2026. The seizures included 42 kg of gold and approximately 10 kg of silver.
At Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on 28–29 August, officers found 6.85 kg of gold dust in wax form hidden in 16 capsules. One airport staff member and five foreign nationals transiting from Dubai, Bangkok and Male were arrested.
In Kolkata, separate operations on 29 August recovered 4.87 kg and 3.36 kg of gold from passengers arriving from Dubai and Bangkok respectively. Another seizure at Nadia district recovered 15.61 kg in gold bars during a residential search. Officers also recovered 1.48 kg of gold in paste form from four people in Kolkata who were carrying it internally.
In Kerala, Cochin Airport yielded 1.78 kg of compound gold on 29 August from a passenger from Ras Al Khaimah, while Calicut Airport officers found 549 grams of gold hidden in specially made cavities inside an iron box from a passenger from Jeddah.
Additional seizures along the Indo-Bangladesh border totalled 3.59 kg of gold. In Guwahati, 3.84 kg was recovered. Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu yielded 1.36 kg of gold and 9.99 kg of silver allegedly smuggled from Sri Lanka through coastal routes.
The smuggling methods uncovered included gold dust in wax capsules, paste concealed in undergarments, raw chains, internal body concealment, hidden vehicle compartments and specially fabricated containers.
What this means for you
These operations show that gold smuggling remains organised and uses multiple routes into India. Passengers should be aware that carrying undeclared gold or precious metals can result in arrest under the Customs Act. The involvement of airport staff and transit passengers demonstrates that smuggling networks operate at multiple levels of the supply chain.