The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an alleged pan-India gold smuggling network and arrested 11 people following coordinated action across five major cities. The agency seized 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at around ₹10.36 crore during the operation. The investigation has also revealed that the suspected network allegedly moved about 318 kg of smuggled gold worth nearly ₹475 crore through a courier-based system over a period of around nine months, according to officials. The case has drawn attention because investigators believe the operation was not limited to a single city or one method of transportation. Instead, the suspected network allegedly used the India-Bangladesh border to bring foreign-origin gold into India before moving smaller consignments through courier channels to different parts of the country. The DRI's investigation is continuing as officials work to establish the wider network and identify other people who may have been involved.

How the suspected smuggling network operated

According to the DRI, foreign-origin gold was allegedly brought into India through routes connected to the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam. After entering the country, the gold was allegedly divided into smaller consignments instead of being moved as one large shipment. These consignments were then booked through courier channels from locations including Guwahati and Kolkata. The shipments were reportedly sent towards destinations such as Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Investigators intercepted some of these consignments during the multi-city operation. The use of smaller courier packages is significant to the investigation because it allegedly allowed the suspected network to distribute gold across several locations rather than moving the entire quantity through one route. The DRI is now examining documents and other evidence collected during the searches to understand how the network arranged procurement, transportation and delivery of the gold.

Five cities targeted in coordinated DRI action

The operation was carried out across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati. The DRI's Mumbai unit launched the action after receiving specific intelligence about the movement of foreign-origin gold through the border areas of West Bengal and Assam. Searches and interceptions were conducted simultaneously on September 23 and 24, according to the Ministry of Finance information cited in reports. During the operation, officials intercepted courier consignments that had been booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery to Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Seven people linked to the intended receipt of the consignments were apprehended. Searches at locations associated with the consignors and shippers in Kolkata resulted in three more arrests.

6.61 kg gold worth over ₹10 crore seized

The immediate seizure in the operation was 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold. The DRI valued the seized gold at approximately ₹10.36 crore. The gold was seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. This quantity represents the material recovered during the latest operation. It is separate from the much larger quantity that investigators believe the suspected network may have moved during the previous nine months. According to preliminary scrutiny of documents collected during the investigation, approximately 318 kg of smuggled gold worth around ₹475 crore may have been transported and delivered through the courier network during that period. The distinction is important because the DRI did not seize 318 kg of gold in this particular operation. The 318 kg figure relates to the suspected movement of gold uncovered during the investigation.

What happened to the alleged recipients and shippers?

The investigation focused on different people involved at various stages of the suspected operation. Seven alleged recipients were apprehended after DRI teams intercepted courier consignments intended for Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. Investigators also searched premises linked to people who allegedly arranged the shipments. Three people were arrested in Kolkata during these searches. The investigation subsequently led officials to an alleged mastermind or key coordinator in Mumbai. Reports citing officials said the person was a jeweller from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra and was allegedly involved in coordinating the dispatch and delivery of consignments. The allegations remain part of an ongoing investigation, and authorities are examining the exact roles of those arrested.

Why the courier route became important

The suspected use of courier services is one of the central aspects of the case. Investigators believe foreign-origin gold was moved from border areas to Guwahati and Kolkata and then sent in smaller packages towards other major cities. Such a network can involve several stages, including procurement, transportation, booking of consignments, receipt of packages and eventual distribution. The DRI is investigating each stage to determine how the alleged operation functioned. The agency is also examining whether additional people, businesses or intermediaries were connected to the network. The suspected movement of nearly 318 kg over nine months indicates the scale of activity being investigated, although the figure is based on preliminary examination of documents and is subject to the ongoing probe.

DRI expands crackdown on foreign-origin gold

The latest case comes amid a broader series of actions by the DRI against organised gold smuggling. Earlier in September, the Ministry of Finance reported several separate seizures involving foreign-origin gold. In one operation announced on September 10, the DRI said it had seized around 41 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹62 crore across six intelligence-led operations and arrested 24 people, including three foreign nationals. In another operation announced on September 25, the DRI said it seized 9.40 kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹15 crore at Mumbai airport and arrested three people. Officials said the gold had allegedly been converted into powder and mixed with food products to conceal it. These separate cases show that authorities are examining different routes and concealment methods used in alleged gold-smuggling operations.

Investigation now focuses on the wider network

The DRI has not closed the investigation after the 11 arrests. Officials are examining documents and other material collected during searches to identify additional people who may have played a role in the alleged operation. Investigators are also looking at the movement of the suspected smuggled gold after it reached different cities. This includes examining how the gold was allegedly distributed and whether it entered the domestic market without the required documentation. The agency is expected to continue tracing the financial and logistical links between different members of the alleged network. The investigation could therefore provide more information about the source of the foreign-origin gold, its movement across the country and the people allegedly responsible for coordinating the supply chain.

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The bigger picture behind the DRI operation

Gold remains a high-value commodity, and illegal cross-border movement can involve organised networks operating through multiple locations and transportation channels. In this case, the DRI's investigation points to an alleged system in which gold entered India through border routes and was subsequently moved through smaller courier consignments. The seizure of 6.61 kg of gold during the latest operation gave investigators physical evidence to pursue the wider case, while documentary examination has helped officials estimate the suspected movement of around 318 kg over the preceding nine months. The five-city operation also shows that the investigation was not restricted to the location where the gold allegedly entered the country. Teams worked across border-linked locations as well as major destinations where consignments were allegedly being sent.