An Indian woman and 18 Sudanese women were arrested on Tuesday (25) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for their involvement in a gold smuggling racket.
The officials seized 16.36 kg of gold in paste form valued at Rs 10.16 crore. Following a search of related premises, DRI officials also recovered 1.42 kg of gold valued at approximately Rs 85 lakh, foreign currency worth Rs 16 lakh, and Indian notes of Rs 88 lakh.
The DRI had received specific intelligence that a syndicate of passengers traveling from the UAE to Mumbai on Monday would be smuggling gold in paste form into India. In response, the DRI conducted surveillance at the airport, leading to the bust.
According to an official, a team from the DRI intercepted passengers suspected to be part of a smuggling syndicate in three flights at the airport. During their search, the DRI found 16.36 kg of gold in paste form, as well as cut pieces and jewellery, with a total value of Rs 10.16 crore.
The official reported that 18 Sudanese women carrying the smuggled gold, along with an Indian woman coordinating the movement of the passengers, were arrested.
The majority of the gold was found concealed on the passengers' bodies, making it difficult to detect. The official added that further investigation is underway.
(With inputs from PTI)
