The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized foreign-origin gold worth ₹8.98 crore near Visakhapatnam following a high-speed chase on the night of 8–9 October 2026, arresting two persons in the process. The 5,832.90 grams of gold — hidden in a specially fabricated cavity beneath a car seat — was allegedly being transported from Kolkata to Hyderabad after being smuggled through the India-Bangladesh border.

How the Seizure Unfolded

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials maintained heightened vigilance along the National Highway near Visakhapatnam. They intercepted the vehicle after a prolonged chase and conducted a systematic search of the car. Officials discovered a specially fabricated concealed compartment beneath the leg space of the front co-passenger seat, from which they recovered three packets containing 5,832.90 grams of 24-carat gold of 999 purity.

The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Both passengers were arrested and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody.

The Bangladesh Smuggling Route

According to DRI officials, the gold had been smuggled into India through the India-Bangladesh border before being routed toward Hyderabad via Kolkata. The Visakhapatnam seizure is part of a broader pattern of smuggled gold moving along road corridors from eastern border areas to major metro cities.

Notably, on the same nights of 8–9 October, DRI also intensified operations in the eastern region, seizing approximately 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at more than ₹11.50 crore across multiple intelligence-led operations — bringing the combined two-day haul to a significant scale.

Eastern Region Operations: Dankuni and Railway Stations

In a separate but related operation, DRI officials intercepted a four-wheeler at Dankuni Toll Plaza in West Bengal, recovering 50 gold bars weighing approximately 6.8 kg and valued at around ₹10 crore. The vehicle, carrying four persons, was travelling from Banpur — near the Bangladesh border — towards Kolkata.

On the same day, DRI teams in West Bengal intercepted passengers at Malda Town Railway Station and New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, seizing around 1 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹1.5 crore. In total, six persons were arrested across the eastern region operations, exposing the use of both road and railway networks to move smuggled gold from border areas toward Kolkata.

Scale of the Crackdown

Taken together, the operations on 8–9 October resulted in the seizure of over 13.6 kg of foreign-origin gold with a combined estimated value exceeding ₹20 crore, and the arrest of at least eight persons. The DRI's coordinated sweep across highway checkpoints and railway stations signals an escalation in enforcement targeting the India-Bangladesh gold smuggling corridor — a route that has seen repeated interdictions in recent months.

As investigations continue, authorities are expected to probe wider networks behind the consignments, including the source, financiers, and intended recipients of the smuggled gold.