NEW DELHI, India, June 30 (ANI) — In a major operation, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled a trans-border gold smuggling syndicate operating from Delhi and seized 15 kilograms of foreign-origin smuggled gold valued at approximately Rs. 21.40 crore, according to an official release from the Ministry of Finance.
DRI officers intercepted an international courier consignment originating from Thailand at the Delhi Courier Terminal. The shipment was addressed to a firm linked to a foreign national.
A meticulous examination of the consignment, which had been declared as “worn gear,” led to the recovery of eight disc-shaped pieces of foreign-origin gold, each weighing 1.5 kilograms, ingeniously concealed inside gear parts. In total, authorities recovered 12 kilograms of smuggled gold from the courier consignment.
Simultaneous searches at the residence of the intended recipient and the alleged mastermind resulted in the recovery of two additional identical disc-shaped pieces of foreign-origin gold, each weighing 1.5 kilograms, the release said.
Four individuals, including the alleged mastermind, who is a repeat offender, and a foreign national, have been arrested in connection with the case. Preliminary investigations indicate that cryptocurrency was used to transfer funds across borders to finance the smuggling operation, the release added.
Earlier, in a separate major crackdown on the smuggling of foreign-origin gold, the DRI dismantled a highly organized gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai Airport.
According to the official release, investigators uncovered and shut down a gold melting facility used to process foreign-origin smuggled gold.
A total of nine individuals involved throughout the smuggling network—including airport staff, a handler, three intermediaries, the operator of the melting facility, and three individuals engaged in the melting process—were arrested. Authorities also seized approximately 6 kilograms of foreign-origin smuggled gold recovered during the operation.
The case highlights the increasing sophistication of organized gold smuggling syndicates, which are exploiting insider access at airports and using layered distribution networks to evade detection, the release said.
About The Author
