DRI busts international gold smuggling racket; Rs 1.4 crore yellow metal seized, 2 held

Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested the "mastermind" of a gold smuggling syndicate and an Air India crew member after seizing the precious metal valued at Rs 1.41 crore from them, officials said on Sunday.

The DRI had specific intelligence about the syndicate involving airline crew members indulging in the smuggling of foreign origin gold from the US to India, and hence heightened surveillance at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here, an official said.

Accordingly, the DRI intercepted a male crew member of the Air India flight AI-116, which arrived in Mumbai from New York on Friday, he said.

An initial search of the crew member did not result in any recovery.

During his questioning, it came to light that he had concealed the pouch containing the foreign-origin gold bars, wrapped in black duct tape, near the baggage services area during the post-flight breathalyzer test for crew members, the official said.

Accordingly, the pouch was retrieved and foreign-origin gold bars weighing 1,373 grams were recovered, he said.

The accused crew member in his statement admitted to smuggling gold into India on previous occasions as well, the official said.

In the follow-up action, the "mastermind" of the syndicate, who had been engaging crew members to smuggle gold into India, was also intercepted, he said.

The "mastermind" also admitted to his involvement in the smuggling of gold, the official said.

Both the accused persons were arrested under provisions of the Customs Act, he said.