DRI busts Mumbai airport gold syndicate, seizes 15 kg worth ₹23 crore; 15 arrested
Synopsis
The DRI has cracked open an airport-insider-led gold smuggling network in Mumbai, seizing 15 kg of gold and 45 kg of silver worth ₹23 crore and arresting 15 people across multiple cities. A hidden gold melting facility — the kind rarely uncovered — reveals just how industrialised these operations have become.
Key Takeaways
DRI arrested 9 persons from a gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai airport , including an airport employee and her handler.
A clandestine gold melting facility used to process smuggled foreign-origin gold was also busted.
Separate operations in Bengaluru and six other cities — Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Petrapole — led to 6 more arrests .
Total seizures across all operations: approximately 15 kg of gold , 45 kg of silver , valued at around ₹23 crore ; 15 persons arrested in all.
Earlier operation 'Operation Golden Drop' on 20 May at CSMI Airport had already netted 3 kg of gold worth ₹4.8 crore and revealed the egg-capsule ingestion method.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a highly organised gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai airport, arresting nine persons — including an airport staffer and her handler — and seizing approximately 15 kg of gold and 45 kg of silver valued at around ₹23 crore, the agency said on Friday, 26 June. The operation also uncovered a clandestine gold melting facility used to process foreign-origin smuggled gold.
How the Syndicate Operated
According to a DRI statement, the network exploited insider access at the airport and deployed layered distribution channels to evade detection. The nine persons arrested span the entire smuggling chain: the airport employee, her handler, three intermediaries, the melting facility operator, and three workers engaged in the actual melting process. The agency described the syndicate as a textbook example of the 'evolving sophistication' of organised smuggling operations that increasingly rely on insiders at key transit points.
Bengaluru Seizure and Residential Raid
In a separate but concurrent operation at Bengaluru, DRI officers intercepted an international passenger carrying 1.8 kg of 24-carat gold in paste form, ingeniously concealed within layers of clothing. Subsequent searches at the individual's residence led to the additional recovery of approximately 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, 45 kg of silver, and both Indian and foreign currencies. The passenger was arrested.
Nationwide Airport and Border Operations
Earlier in the same week, the DRI conducted a coordinated series of operations across airports, railway stations, and land customs stations in Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Petrapole in West Bengal. These operations cumulatively yielded another 6 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold and resulted in the arrest of five more persons, bringing the total number of arrests across all operations to 15.
Operation Golden Drop: The Precursor
The current crackdown follows an earlier targeted operation codenamed 'Operation Golden Drop', launched by DRI Mumbai on 20 May at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport. Acting on specific intelligence, officers intercepted and seized 3 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹4.8 crore and arrested one accused. Investigations revealed that smuggled gold dust was converted into wax form and concealed inside specially designed egg-shaped capsules, which transit passengers allegedly ingested to carry the metal through customs undetected.
What This Signals
The DRI's statement noted that syndicates are increasingly exploiting insider access at airports and employing multi-layered distribution networks — a pattern that makes conventional detection methods less effective. The discovery of a dedicated melting facility indicates that these operations have moved well beyond opportunistic smuggling into structured, industrial-scale supply chains. Further investigations are ongoing, and additional arrests are not ruled out, according to officials.
Point of View
Not just a courier network. The involvement of an airport insider confirms what enforcement agencies have long suspected: that the real vulnerability at Indian airports is not the scanner, but the staffer. With 15 arrests across seven locations in a single week, the DRI is clearly working from prior intelligence rather than chance interceptions. The harder question is structural: how many such insiders remain undetected, and whether airport security vetting is keeping pace with syndicate recruitment.
NationPress
26 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the DRI uncover in the Mumbai airport gold smuggling bust?
The DRI dismantled a gold smuggling syndicate operating through Mumbai airport, arresting nine persons including an airport employee, her handler, three intermediaries, and workers at a hidden gold melting facility. The agency also seized approximately 15 kg of gold and 45 kg of silver worth around ₹23 crore across multiple operations.
What is Operation Golden Drop?
Operation Golden Drop was a targeted DRI operation launched on 20 May at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. It led to the seizure of 3 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹4.8 crore and exposed a method where gold dust was converted to wax, packed in egg-shaped capsules, and ingested by transit passengers.
How was the gold smuggled into India?
The syndicate used multiple concealment methods: gold dust converted into wax form and hidden in ingested capsules by transit passengers, gold paste concealed within clothing layers, and a dedicated melting facility to process and disguise the smuggled metal once inside the country.
How many people have been arrested in total?
A total of 15 persons have been arrested across all related DRI operations — nine from the Mumbai syndicate, one in Bengaluru, and five more from operations at airports, railway stations, and land customs stations in Hyderabad, Rajkot, Calicut, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Petrapole.
Why is gold smuggling through airports a growing concern?
According to the DRI, syndicates are increasingly exploiting insider access at airports and using layered distribution networks to evade detection. The presence of a clandestine melting facility suggests these operations have become industrialised, posing a significant challenge to conventional enforcement methods.
