The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has uncovered an alleged organised gold-smuggling network operating through Ahmedabad and Surat airports, with investigators stating that the syndicate handled 13.017 kilograms of smuggled gold valued at ₹19.41 crore in Gujarat.
According to Nav Gujarat Samay, the agency arrested three people linked to the network and raided a unit in Vadodara where foreign gold was allegedly melted and converted into jewellery and bars. The investigation also indicated that the syndicate was being operated from Dubai, with gold brought into Gujarat on the instructions of handlers based there.
The DRI’s action followed seizures of smuggled gold from Gujarat’s airports, prompting the agency to examine how the material was entering the state and being distributed. Investigators subsequently conducted raids in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, where they detained the three alleged members of the syndicate.
The report said the foreign 24-carat gold was taken to a melting unit in Vadodara. It was allegedly processed with other materials and converted into jewellery and bars before being placed in the market. The suspected distribution network reportedly extended to jewellery markets in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot.
During the operation, the DRI seized 890 grams of gold. Investigators also found evidence indicating that 6.41 kilograms of gold had allegedly been melted illegally over a recent period. Records relating to approximately 5.8 kilograms of gold, including hawala transactions and other dealings, were also reportedly recovered.
The reported figure of 13.017 kilograms includes the gold linked to the alleged smuggling and melting operations under investigation. The agency’s inquiry is expected to examine the supply chain beyond the processing unit and establish how the material reached jewellery markets in Gujarat.
Separately, the Customs Department’s Air Intelligence Unit seized 133.450 grams of 24-carat gold worth ₹20.12 lakh from a passenger arriving at Ahmedabad airport from Dubai. The passenger, identified in the report as a resident of Tanda in Uttar Pradesh, had allegedly concealed gold paste inside a fabric patch fitted into a cabin trolley bag.
The passenger was stopped after officials carried out profiling of travellers arriving on the Dubai-Ahmedabad flight. The report said the passenger denied carrying gold or any other restricted item. During a detailed inspection of the cabin bag, officials noticed a suspicious layer attached to a fabric patch. The material was removed and melted, yielding 133.450 grams of 24-carat gold.
The DRI investigation and the separate Ahmedabad airport seizure highlight the enforcement challenge posed by gold arriving through international air routes and entering local markets after being processed. Further action will depend on the agency’s inquiry into the alleged Dubai-based handlers, the melting unit and the suspected distribution network.
