DRI seizes 9.5 kg gold, arrests 20 including 5 foreigners in week-long blitz
Synopsis
In one of its most geographically sweeping enforcement weeks, the DRI arrested 20 people — including five foreign nationals — and seized 9.5 kg of gold, 2.7 kg of heroin, 2 kg of MDMA and amphetamines, and 14 metric tonnes of misdeclared wildlife resin. The operations, stretching from Manipur to Mumbai to the Indo-Bangladesh border, expose the multi-commodity, multi-corridor structure of India's organised smuggling networks.
Key Takeaways
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested 20 accused , including five foreign nationals , during operations in the week ending 1 August 2025 .
9.5 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹14 crore was seized across multiple locations including Delhi Airport , the Indo-Bangladesh border , Varanasi , and Tamil Nadu .
Approximately 2.7 kg of heroin was recovered near Churachandpur, Manipur , concealed in 220 soap cases .
2 kg of amphetamine crystals and MDMA tablets were seized from two foreign female nationals in Mumbai ; both arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985 .
14 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin Guggul resin worth ₹1.4 crore was intercepted after being falsely declared as Somalia-origin natural resin routed through Dubai.
Operations involved coordination with Border Security Force , Assam Rifles , and Manipur Police , spanning six states and union territories.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested 20 accused, including five foreign nationals, and seized contraband worth crores during a series of coordinated anti-smuggling operations conducted across India in the week ending 1 August 2025. The haul included 9.5 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹14 crore, along with heroin, MDMA, amphetamine crystals, and prohibited wildlife products.
Gold Seizures Across Multiple Locations
On 29 July, DRI officers at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi arrested two foreign nationals who had arrived from Dubai, recovering 40 gold bars weighing 4 kg concealed within specially crafted cavities in their baggage. The sophistication of the concealment pointed to organised syndicate involvement, according to the DRI statement.
In joint operations with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the Indo-Bangladesh border, approximately 3.2 kg of gold was recovered from three separate individuals — one near the border fence at Tungi, another at Hili border gate, and a third intercepted on a motorcycle near Nityanandakati, Hakimpur. Three persons, including a woman, were arrested in connection with these seizures.
An additional 2.2 kg of gold was seized across three independent operations at Varanasi, Delhi Airport, and Tamil Nadu, leading to the arrest of four more individuals.
Narcotics Bust in Manipur and Mumbai
On the narcotics front, DRI — operating with assistance from Assam Rifles and Manipur Police — intercepted a vehicle near Churachandpur, Manipur and recovered approximately 2.7 kg of heroin concealed inside 220 soap cases. Two persons were arrested in that operation.
In Mumbai, two separate operations targeted foreign female nationals travelling from Delhi. DRI officers recovered synthetic narcotic drugs — including approximately 2 kg of amphetamine crystals and MDMA tablets — hidden in specially fabricated cavities within their baggage. Both were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Prohibited Wildlife Import Uncovered
In a significant case involving prohibited wildlife imports, DRI uncovered an attempt to smuggle approximately 14 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin Guggul resin valued at around ₹1.4 crore. The consignment had been falsely declared as natural resin originating from Somalia and routed through Dubai, exploiting misdeclaration of both product description and country of origin.
Scale and Significance of the Operations
Beyond gold and narcotics, the week's seizures also included hydroponic weed, red sanders, prohibited wildlife products, e-cigarettes, foreign-origin poppy seeds, and areca nuts. The DRI noted that the arrests exposed 'sophisticated concealment techniques employed by organised criminal syndicates', suggesting cross-border trafficking networks with multi-commodity operations.
This comes amid a broader intensification of DRI's enforcement activity, with the agency increasingly coordinating with paramilitary forces and state police to plug smuggling corridors along India's land and air borders. The scale and geographic spread of this week's operations — spanning Manipur, West Bengal, Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, and Tamil Nadu — underscore the nationwide reach of these networks. Further investigations are underway.
Point of View
Heroin concealed in soap cases from Manipur's border corridors, synthetic drugs hidden in baggage by foreign nationals, and wildlife resin misdeclared through a Dubai re-routing: these are not isolated incidents but overlapping nodes of the same organised smuggling infrastructure. What the DRI's week-long blitz reveals is that India's enforcement agencies are increasingly working in multi-agency formation — BSF, Assam Rifles, state police — which is a structural shift worth watching. The harder question is whether arrests and seizures are disrupting networks or merely skimming the surface of operations that quickly reconstitute.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the DRI seize in its latest week-long operations?
The DRI seized approximately 9.5 kg of foreign-origin gold worth ₹14 crore, 2.7 kg of heroin, 2 kg of amphetamine crystals and MDMA tablets, and 14 metric tonnes of misdeclared Pakistan-origin Guggul resin, along with hydroponic weed, red sanders, e-cigarettes, and prohibited wildlife products.
Who was arrested in the DRI operations?
A total of 20 accused were arrested, including five foreign nationals. The arrests covered individuals involved in gold smuggling at airports and the Indo-Bangladesh border, narcotics trafficking in Manipur and Mumbai, and a wildlife product import fraud.
Where were the gold seizures made?
Gold was seized at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, along the Indo-Bangladesh border at Tungi and Hili, and in separate operations at Varanasi, Delhi Airport, and Tamil Nadu, totalling 9.5 kg across all locations.
What was the Guggul resin case about?
DRI uncovered an attempt to import around 14 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin Guggul resin worth ₹1.4 crore through misdeclaration — the consignment was falsely described as natural resin from Somalia and routed through Dubai to obscure its true origin.
Which agencies assisted the DRI in these operations?
The DRI conducted joint operations with the Border Security Force along the Indo-Bangladesh border and with Assam Rifles and Manipur Police for the heroin seizure near Churachandpur, reflecting a coordinated multi-agency enforcement approach.
