The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a significant gold smuggling operation, seizing 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at Rs. 12.56 crore, along with additional assets worth Rs. 4.73 crore. This operation marks one of the biggest gold seizures at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in recent times.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted a 33-year-old Indian woman who had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight on March 3, 2025. Upon inspection, the officers discovered gold bars weighing 14.2 kg, ingeniously concealed on her person. The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Following the arrest, DRI officials conducted a search at the woman’s residence on Lavelle Road, Bengaluru, where she lives with her husband. The search led to the confiscation of gold jewelry worth Rs. 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs. 2.67 crore. She has been taken into custody under relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962, and remanded to judicial custody.
The total assets seized in this case amount to Rs. 17.29 crore, delivering a significant blow to organized gold smuggling networks operating in India. This successful bust underlines the DRI’s continued vigilance in cracking down on illegal gold trafficking.
