Gold smuggling syndicate of Rs.40 Cr busted by DRI

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a big syndicate involved in smuggling of foreign-origin gold worth around Rs. 40 crore in its operation code named ‘Rising Sun’ on 12th and 13th March, 2024.

The operation, which was methodically planned and coordinated across four states, resulted in the seizure of around 61.08 kg of smuggled gold worth at around Rs.40 crore, as well as 19 vehicles, cash, and other electronic devices in Guwahati, Barpeta, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, and Araria.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers in Guwahati nabbed six members of the syndicate, including two masterminds, from residential premises in Guwahati and collected 22.74 kg of gold, Rs. 13 lakh in cash, vehicles, and other electronic devices. A vehicle that had already left Guwahati was traced down and detained at Barpeta, Assam, around 90 kilometres from Guwahati. 13.28 kg of smuggled gold was recovered from the intercepted vehicle, and two more people were apprehended.

Following the leads discovered during investigations, DRI agents from Muzaffarpur stopped a vehicle near Darbhanga and seized 13.27 kg of gold. Another car was halted by DRI investigators near Gorakhpur, and 11.79 kg of foreign gold was confiscated. DRI officers from Patna located and intercepted nine more cars with secret chambers used by the syndicate in Araria, Bihar.

The first questioning of the seized individuals indicated that the syndicate used to smuggle tiny amounts of gold into India over the Indo-Myanmar land border, aggregate it in Guwahati, and transport it to Delhi, Jaipur, and other destinations. During this operation, DRI detained 12 people: eight in Guwahati, two in Muzaffarpur, and two in Gorakhpur.