Mumbai airport: DRI seizes 9.40 kg gold hidden in food items from Dubai passengers
Three Indian passengers arriving from Dubai were arrested after officials found gold powder mixed into food items worth over 14 crore rupees.
A gold smuggling case has come to light at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered the case. Officials seized around 9.40 kg of gold worth about 14.81 crore rupees from three Indian passengers who had arrived from Dubai. All three have been arrested in the case.
According to the DRI, the action was carried out on September 23 based on specific intelligence. The Air Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Airport Customs also assisted in the operation. While checking the baggage of the three passengers who had arrived from Dubai, officials became suspicious of some packaged food items.
The investigation revealed that foreign gold had been converted into a very fine powder and mixed into ordinary food items. Products such as milk powder, oats, various types of flour, Nutella and coconut milk powder were being used for the smuggling. A total of about 33.50 kg of food items containing the gold powder were seized from the baggage of the three passengers. Officials carefully separated and examined these items. After the entire process, a total of 9.40 kg of pure gold was recovered, which the DRI valued at around 14.81 crore rupees. The gold was seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
During questioning, the three passengers reportedly admitted that they were working for the same organised gang involved in gold smuggling. Following this, all three were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
According to officials, this method of mixing gold powder into everyday food items had posed a major challenge for investigating agencies. To evade normal security and customs checks, the smugglers had tried to hide the gold by matching the colour and texture of the food items.
The Mumbai DRI is now further investigating the case. The investigation aims to identify the remaining members of the gang and expose the larger operation behind this gold smuggling network. The agency is also probing where the consignment was to be delivered and who else was involved.
