The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), working with the Border Security Force (BSF), has seized approximately 12 kilograms of foreign-origin gold valued at around Rs 17 crore in multiple operations along the India-Bangladesh border. The recoveries expose the active use of the Bangladesh route to illegally move gold into India, and reflect the Ministry of Finance’s intensified efforts to stop cross-border gold smuggling networks.
Key facts
- Total gold seized: around 12 kg, valued at approximately Rs 17 crore
- Location: West Bengal and Bihar, including train interception in Patna
- Operations conducted: September 10-21, 2026
- West Bengal seizure 1 (September 20-21): 27 pieces weighing 3.15 kg near Gongra border outpost
- West Bengal seizure 2 (September 21): 10 pieces of 24K gold weighing 1.16 kg in Hathkhola village
- West Bengal seizure 3 (September 10-11): 48 bars weighing 5.9 kg in Pathergata area
- Bihar seizure (Patna): 15 bars and 4 cut pieces weighing 1.71 kg from train passenger
- One person arrested in Patna with gold concealed in cloth knee caps on both legs
How the smuggling operations were disrupted
The DRI and BSF conducted a series of coordinated operations spanning more than a week in September 2026. In the first major recovery, BSF personnel stationed at the Gongra border outpost in West Bengal found 27 pieces of foreign-origin gold near the India-Bangladesh Border Road. The DRI then took charge and formally seized the gold under the Customs Act, 1962.
A second operation at the Mahakhola border outpost involved the recovery of 10 pieces of 24-karat foreign-origin gold that had been carefully hidden near a handpump in Hathkhola village, positioned ahead of the India-Bangladesh border fence. This gold was seized by the DRI under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.
The third West Bengal operation, conducted earlier in September, resulted in the seizure of 48 gold bars totalling 5.9 kilograms near the Pathergata border outpost. These items had also been recovered by BSF personnel and subsequently handed over to DRI for formal seizure proceedings.
In a separate operation in Patna, Bihar, DRI officers intercepted a train passenger carrying 15 gold bars and 4 small cut pieces of gold totalling 1.71 kilograms. Investigators discovered that the gold was concealed in cloth knee caps wrapped around both of the passenger’s legs. Questioning revealed that the gold had been smuggled from Bangladesh, and the person was arrested.
Legal framework and seizure authority
All seized gold was formally confiscated under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, which grants customs authorities the power to seize contraband goods and items imported or moved illegally across borders. Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, specifically provides the legal basis for such seizures. The involvement of DRI, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, ensures that all seizures are conducted within the proper legal framework and documented correctly.
The Bangladesh smuggling route
Gold smuggling through the Bangladesh border remains a persistent challenge for India’s revenue and customs agencies. The Bangladesh route is frequently exploited by smuggling networks to move foreign-origin gold into India, bypassing official import channels and avoiding customs duties and taxes. The porous nature of parts of the India-Bangladesh border, combined with the high value and portability of gold, makes this route attractive to smugglers. By intercepting contraband at border outposts and conducting targeted operations on trains and highways, DRI and BSF aim to dismantle these networks.
What this means for you
These seizures are relevant to citizens, businesses and exam aspirants in several ways. For competitive exam candidates, this demonstrates the operational coordination between revenue and security agencies in tackling cross-border crime. For gold importers and businesses, it reinforces that illegal gold smuggling attracts severe penalties and criminal liability. For ordinary citizens, it shows how government agencies work to maintain border security and prevent the use of illegal channels to circumvent import duties, which ultimately protects legitimate trade and tax collection.
What happens next
The DRI has stated that its intensified crackdown will continue in close coordination with the BSF to disrupt smuggling networks, transportation routes and distribution systems involved in moving foreign-origin gold through the Bangladesh border.