DRI Busts Gold Smuggling Operation in Mumbai Airport

In a significant operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials in Mumbai apprehended a Chadian national who had arrived from Addis Ababa. Based on specific intelligence, officers intercepted the passenger on May 16, 2025, and uncovered 4015 grams of foreign-origin gold ingeniously hidden within the heels of his slippers. The gold carries an approximate value of Rs 3.86 crore, as confirmed by authorities.

The passenger confessed to concealing the gold to bypass Customs detection. Subsequently, the DRI seized the smuggled gold and arrested the individual under the Customs Act, 1962. This incident is part of a persistent trend, as demonstrated by a similar case in April when a male Indian passenger was apprehended at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport with two kilograms of gold bars worth about Rs 1.91 crore.

Authorities reported that the Delhi incident involved a passenger arriving from Dubai, identified via profiling at the green channel exit. While his baggage set off no alarms on the DFMD, a detailed inspection revealed the concealed gold bars. Additionally, an Iraqi national was intercepted at IGI Airport, with Customs officers confiscating 1203 grams of suspicious yellow metal and silver-coated jewelry, believed to be gold. Such cases underscore the ongoing battle against gold smuggling.

(With inputs from agencies.)