The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has busted a gold smuggling syndicate allegedly routing 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold through airports, illegal melting facilities and a jewellery shop, while separately seizing amphetamine and cocaine in three anti-narcotics operations.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has busted a gold smuggling syndicate operating through Ahmedabad and Surat airports, seizing gold worth around Rs 19.41 crore and arresting three persons. The operation, conducted over 42 hours from October 16, exposed dealings involving 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold, which was allegedly smuggled into the country, illegally melted in Vadodara and supplied to a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad for cash sales, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The DRI, under the Ministry of Finance, seized around 890 grams of gold and recovered evidence relating to 6.41 kg of illegally melted gold. Searches at the jewellery outlet also led to the recovery of undocumented foreign-origin gold bars and records of transactions involving around 5.8 kg of smuggled gold, the statement said.
Investigations revealed that passengers allegedly used concealment methods such as rhodium-coated gold wires, gold hidden in trolley bag linings and gold paste concealed inside bags, it added. The gold was allegedly handed over to handlers outside the airports and routed through intermediaries to an illegal melting facility before being supplied to the jewellery trade, it said.
Three persons have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, and the handler-financier based in Dubai, the melting facility operator and other key persons were identified during the investigation, it added. DRI, through a coordinated action, also seized around 7.1 kg of amphetamine in two operations and around 3.1 kg of cocaine, leading to the arrest of three persons.
The seizures were made at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru; near Nagpur; and Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), New Delhi, the ministry said in a separate statement. These operations underscore DRI's sustained efforts to disrupt narcotics supply chains, detect ingenious concealment methods and prevent the movement of dangerous narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through the country's air and road networks, it added.


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