Mumbai: Five Bangladeshi transit passengers and a private airline ground staffer were arrested after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 6

Published on: Aug 31, 2026, 08:23:30 IST

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Mumbai: Five Bangladeshi transit passengers and a private airline ground staffer were arrested after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 6.85kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹10.75 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday, officials said. The accused allegedly formed part of a syndicate that used transit passengers to smuggle gold through Mumbai.

The seizure was made during an operation internally code-named ‘Operation Midnight Goldstrike’, following specific intelligence received by the DRI’s Mumbai zonal unit, officials said on Sunday.

Acting on the information, DRI officers intercepted a private ground staff member deployed by a third party for an airline while he was leaving the airport. A search allegedly led to the recovery of seven capsules containing 24-carat gold dust concealed in wax form.

During questioning, the staffer allegedly revealed the involvement of transit passengers in smuggling gold and removing it from the airport. The officers then identified and intercepted other alleged members of the network, recovering nine more capsules.

The DRI said the syndicate allegedly operated through transit passengers travelling between Dubai in the UAE, Bangkok in Thailand and Male in the Maldives via Mumbai.

In all, 16 capsules containing 6.85 kilogram of 24-carat gold dust -in- wax form, valued at approximately ₹10.75 crore. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, officials said.

The six accused, comprising five Bangladeshi nationals travelling as transit passengers and the private ground staffer, were arrested. The DRI is investigating the source of the gold and the intended recipients as part of its probe, officials said.

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