Mumbai, September 28, 2026: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has widened its probe into the gold smuggling case and is now probing the hawala operators who are facilitating the syndicate in channelling the funds generated through the ill-gotten money from the sale of gold.
The agency had recently busted a syndicate that was instrumental in smuggling 318 kg of smuggled gold valued at Rs 475 crore this year. The officials said that the chain of persons involved in the syndicate is longer, and the money trail, financiers and trail of the sale-purchase of the illegal gold are being investigated. So far, 11 persons connected with the syndicate have been arrested by the DRI.
Multi-City Operation Launched
Acting on specific intelligence that foreign-origin gold was being regularly smuggled through the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam and subsequently transported to various parts of the country for further delivery through a courier company, DRI launched a coordinated multi-city operation on September 23. Simultaneous searches and interceptions were carried out in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati.
During the operation, live courier consignments containing smuggled gold, booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, were successfully intercepted.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate was transporting foreign-origin smuggled gold in multiple small courier consignments from Guwahati and Kolkata to recipients in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad for disposal in the domestic market without any documentation.
6.61 Kg Gold Seized
In total, 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold in bar form, valued at approximately Rs 10.36 crore, was recovered and seized from the intercepted consignments. The probe revealed that the gold smuggled by the syndicate was to be sold to various other people who are part of this syndicate.
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Investigation also revealed that accused persons were in close touch with hawala operators and buyers of gold. "The ongoing investigation is crucial to dismantling this international smuggling network. The syndicate operates across multiple countries, and may involve foreign nationals, which underscores the global reach of these criminal activities. More evidence are being gathered to identify and apprehend other key members of the syndicate, which could have far-reaching implications for international security and economic stability," said a DRI officer.
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