The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under the Ministry of Finance, has dismantled a gold smuggling network that operated across multiple Indian cities using courier services to distribute foreign gold illegally. The agency seized 6.61 kg of smuggled gold worth around Rs 10.36 crore and arrested eleven people, including a key organiser of the operation.
The investigation uncovered the scale of the criminal enterprise: in just nine months of 2026, the same network had moved approximately 318 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs 475 crore through courier channels across the country.
Key facts
- Gold seized: 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold bars
- Estimated value of seized gold: Rs 10.36 crore
- Total smuggled gold transported in nine months: 318 kg
- Total value of gold moved: Rs 475 crore
- Number arrested: 11 persons, including one mastermind
- Operation dates: 23-24 September 2026
- Cities where coordinated searches took place: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati
- Entry points identified: Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam
How the smuggling network operated
The DRI found that the syndicate smuggled foreign gold across the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam, then split the contraband into small portions and packed them into multiple courier consignments. These packages were then sent through regular postal and courier services to recipients in different cities, primarily Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, where the gold would be sold in the domestic black market.
To avoid detection, the consignors and recipients were identified as shell entities or individuals with no legitimate gold business. This deliberate use of paper companies and fake names helped conceal the nature of the shipments from courier operators and authorities.
The coordinated operation
On 23 and 24 September 2026, the DRI conducted simultaneous raids and interceptions across five major cities. Customs officials stopped live courier consignments carrying smuggled gold that had been booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Seven people who were meant to receive these packages were arrested at the delivery points.
In parallel, DRI teams searched the premises of the shippers and senders in Kolkata, leading to the arrest of three more people. A follow-up operation in Mumbai resulted in the capture of one of the masterminds who coordinated the dispatch and delivery operations.
What was recovered
From the intercepted courier consignments, authorities seized 6.61 kg of gold in bar form, valued at approximately Rs 10.36 crore. This gold has been seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
The larger picture
During the investigation, the DRI examined documents and records seized from the suspects. These revealed that the network’s operations were far more extensive than initially suspected. In the nine months from January to September 2026, the same group had already successfully transported and delivered around 318 kg of smuggled gold, worth approximately Rs 475 crore, through the courier network without being detected earlier.
What this means for you
This operation demonstrates that gold smuggling in India remains a significant law enforcement challenge. While DRI’s action disrupts one major network, it also signals that authorities are intensifying monitoring of courier services and border crossings. Citizens should be aware that purchasing gold through informal channels carries legal risks, as authorities can seize such gold and initiate criminal proceedings against buyers.
What happens next
The DRI has stated that further investigation into the case is underway. The agency plans to continue focusing on disrupting organised gold-smuggling networks at every stage, including monitoring unconventional logistics and courier channels used to distribute contraband across the country.