Gold Worth Rs 4.2 Cr Seized, Dubai-Linked Smuggling Racket Busted At Mumbai Airport
Two couriers from Dubai, and a jeweller from Navi Mumbai who arrived at the airport to receive the gold, were arrested.
Published : June 2, 2026 at 2:02 PM IST
Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a Dubai-linked syndicate involved in smuggling gold from abroad at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The officials arrested two persons on Sunday acting as couriers who arrived from Dubai, along with a jeweller from Navi Mumbai who had come to receive the gold.
They also seized 2.6 kilograms of foreign-origin gold from the two couriers, which had been concealed in the form of wax. The gold is worth Rs 4.2 crore in the international market.
According to sources, the DRI, acting on specific intelligence, had placed two persons—who had taken possession of the gold in Dubai and were on the way to Mumbai—under surveillance. The gold, which had been melted down to resemble wax, was hidden in their luggage.
The officials intercepted the two passengers just as they were attempting to exit the airport with the gold. The DRI also caught a jeweller who had arrived from Navi Mumbai to the airport while he was in the act of receiving the gold.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the jeweller, acting in collusion with his accomplices, had hatched a conspiracy to smuggle gold from Dubai into India. To execute this scheme, the two passengers were specifically selected to serve as couriers.
The total weight of this gold was found to be 2.6 kg. Since the gold was found to be of 24-carat purity, its value in the international market is estimated at Rs 4.2 crore.
According to sources, cases have been registered against all the accused under Customs Act and other relevant sections. The DRI is conducting further investigations into the case. The seizure comes at a time when the government has tightened duties and taxes on gold to conserve foreign exchange and protect economic interests.
This has made smuggling networks increasingly active in their attempts to bypass legal import channels, said sources.
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