India customs seize gold worth over ₹23 crore in smuggling crackdowns

Indian authorities have conducted significant operations to intercept gold smuggling attempts at multiple airports. At Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, customs officials seized 3.20 kg of gold rods valued at approximately ₹4.03 crore. The gold was discovered hidden inside a floor spring, a hardware component used in door-closing mechanisms, after an Indian passenger arrived from Dubai on Emirates flight EK-512.

In a separate crackdown, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested three individuals and seized 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹19.41 crore. The operation targeted a smuggling syndicate operating through Ahmedabad and Surat airports. The DRI uncovered various concealment methods, including gold wires coated with rhodium, gold embedded in trolley bag linings, and gold paste hidden within bag shells.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate used handlers to receive contraband at airports, which was then transported to an illegal melting facility in Vadodara before being sold through a jewellery shop in Ahmedabad. Officials recovered incriminating evidence related to 6.41 kg of illegally melted gold and undocumented gold bars during the coordinated searches.