India's DRI seizes gold worth ₹23.6 crore, arrests eight in Mumbai airport bust

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s (DRI) Mumbai unit dismantled two organised gold‑smuggling gangs operating through Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. In two operations – “Operation Sky Vault” (23‑24 July) and “Operation Midas Mop” (22‑23 July) – agents seized about 15.76 kg of 24‑carat foreign gold valued at roughly ₹23.63 crore (≈ US$2.8 million) and arrested eight suspects.

Authorities recovered 12.00 kg of gold bars hidden inside luggage of three foreign passengers from Abu Dhabi and 3.76 kg of gold‑wax concealed by airport cleaning staff. The smuggling network allegedly used transit passengers from Dubai and Bangkok to move the gold. Earlier, on 17 July, DRI had broken up another international syndicate, arresting six people including three Filipino nationals.

Investigations continue to identify additional members of the syndicates and to trace the larger smuggling network that involved airport personnel and foreign transit routes.