DRI seizes 13 kg foreign-origin gold worth around Rs. 19.41 crore and dismantles a gold smuggling syndicate in Gujarat; three arrested

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled an organised gold smuggling syndicate operating through the airports in Ahmedabad and Surat, resulting in three arrests under the Customs Act, 1962. Coordinated searches conducted over a 42-hour period uncovered a network involving foreign-origin gold smuggling via concealed methods such as rhodium-coated wires, inner linings of trolley bags, and gold paste. The operation tracked the illicit supply chain from airport hand-overs to an illegal gold-melting facility in Vadodara and subsequent sale through a jewellery outlet in Ahmedabad. Authorities seized gold and recovered evidence related to dealings involving approximately 13 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at around Rs. 19.41 crore, linked to a Dubai-based financier.