DRI busts major international gold smuggling syndicate at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru.

Acting on precise and actionable intelligence, DRI officers executed a well-coordinated surveillance operation at Terminal-2 of KIAL, leading to the interception of a sophisticated smuggling network involving Bangladeshi nationals in active collusion with local facilitators. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 3.356 kilograms of high-purity gold, ingeniously concealed in paste form within capsule-shaped packets, valued at around Rs 5 crore.

Investigations have revealed a highly organised and clandestine modus operandi, wherein carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose transit routes through Bengaluru with extended layovers to facilitate covert transfer of contraband within airport premises. The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing customs scrutiny.

The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband. The entire operation was coordinated through encrypted communication channels, including coded messages and disappearing chats.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is a part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate, involving foreign operatives—suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals—working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators. Five persons have been arrested in connection with the case, and further investigation is underway to identify the kingpins and dismantle the entire network.