The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted an international gold-smuggling syndicate between September 3, 2026, and September 6, 2026, allegedly operated by Chinese nationals, after finding a 24-carat gold bar weighing around 692 grams worth ₹1.10 crore inside the motor of an imported treadmill at Mumbai’s Air Cargo Complex.

A Chinese national and the Indian owner of the importing firm were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.

According to the DRI, officers intercepted and examined a consignment of treadmills imported from Hong Kong on the basis of specific intelligence. During the examination, they found an arc-shaped gold bar concealed inside the motor of one treadmill.

A DRI source said this was the first case detected by the agency in which gold had been concealed inside a treadmill, although smugglers have previously used other types of commercial consignments to conceal gold.

The source said only one treadmill containing concealed gold was detected in the consignment.

The DRI said its investigation had indicated that Chinese nationals, in association with Indian accomplices, had devised the concealment mechanism to smuggle gold through otherwise legitimate commercial imports.

According to the source, the owner of the Indian importing firm had allegedly allowed the syndicate to use the firm’s Importer Exporter Code (IEC) and import licence in return for a commission and was aware that the consignment was illegal.

DRI is investigating the commission arrangement, including the amount allegedly paid to the importing firm and whether a similar arrangement had been used for earlier consignments.

Following the seizure, DRI teams conducted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu as part of efforts to identify other members of the network and trace its operations.

The suspected mastermind behind the syndicate has not yet been apprehended, and officials said the investigation into the wider network is likely to take time.