The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled two organised gold-smuggling syndicates at Mumbai’s CSMIA, seizing 15.764 kg of foreign-origin gold worth Rs 23.63 crore and arresting eight accused in intelligence-led operations targeting international smuggling networks.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has achieved a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on organised gold-smuggling networks by dismantling two sophisticated syndicates operating through Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai. The intelligence-led operations resulted in the seizure of 15.764 kilograms of 24-carat foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 23.63 crore and the arrest of eight individuals under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
According to the DRI’s Mumbai Zonal Unit (MZU), the two separate operations exposed well-planned smuggling methods involving international passengers and airport personnel, highlighting the increasing complexity of organised gold trafficking through India’s busiest international airports.
The first operation, codenamed “Operation Sky Vault,” was conducted between July 23 and July 24, 2026. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted three foreign passengers who had arrived in Mumbai from Addis Ababa. During an extensive search of the aircraft, officials recovered 12.004 kilograms of foreign-origin gold bars worth nearly Rs 18 crore.
Investigators found that the passengers had concealed the gold bars inside hidden compartments within the aircraft, intending to retrieve them later through accomplices. The seizure prevented the contraband from entering the domestic market and exposed another sophisticated smuggling technique used by organised international syndicates.
In a separate intelligence-driven operation named “Operation Midas Mop,” carried out between July 22 and July 23, 2026, DRI officers intercepted two aircraft cleaning staff members, one passenger and two additional members of the smuggling network. During the operation, officials recovered 3.76 kilograms of 24-carat foreign-origin gold dust in wax form, valued at around Rs 5.63 crore.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the passenger had concealed the gold dust aboard an aircraft arriving from Dubai. The plan involved aircraft cleaning staff secretly retrieving the concealed contraband after passengers had disembarked before smuggling it out of the airport for delivery to handlers waiting outside the premises.
The DRI stated that all eight accused have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962, and further investigations are underway to identify additional members connected to the smuggling syndicates. Officials are also probing the financial trail and international links associated with the organised criminal network.
The agency emphasised that these successful operations reaffirm its commitment to intelligence-led enforcement against organised gold-smuggling activities that threaten India’s economic security. The DRI noted that coordinated surveillance, actionable intelligence and swift enforcement continue to play a crucial role in detecting increasingly sophisticated smuggling techniques employed by international syndicates.
The latest seizures come just days after another significant enforcement action by the DRI on July 17, when officials dismantled an international gold-smuggling syndicate and arrested six persons, including three Philippine nationals. That investigation revealed alleged collusion involving private individuals working within the airport premises.
The six accused in the earlier case were identified as Mumbai residents Himanshu Upadhyay, Mohid Hasan Siddiqui and Feroz Sayyed, along with Philippine nationals Lakim Alimudin Nasser, Benny Lloyd Olivo and Christine Joy Andaya Pornasdoro.
According to investigators, the accused admitted during interrogation that they were part of a larger syndicate involved in smuggling gold through transit passengers arriving from Dubai and Bangkok into Mumbai with assistance from certain individuals employed at CSMIA.
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With consecutive successful operations targeting organised gold-smuggling networks, the DRI has intensified its surveillance at major international airports. Authorities indicated that investigations will continue to uncover the wider network of handlers, facilitators and financiers involved in cross-border gold smuggling while strengthening measures to safeguard the country’s financial and economic interests.
