Continuing its sustained crackdown on organised gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in an intelligence led operation, intercepted a car carrying two passengers travelling from Kolkata to Hyderabad at Visakhapatnam during 08–09 October 2026. The interception followed a prolonged chase by officers, who maintained heightened vigilance along the National Highway.

Seized 5.8 kg gold

A thorough search of the vehicle, involving prolonged examination and systematic rummaging, led to the detection of a specially fabricated concealed cavity beneath the leg space of the front co-passenger seat. Three packets containing 5,832.90 grams of foreign-origin gold of 24-carat, valued at approximately Rs. 8.98 crore, were recovered from the cavity. The occupants admitted that the gold had been smuggled into India through the Indo-Bangladesh border and was being transported to Hyderabad.

The recovered gold was seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Both occupants were arrested.

The case bears a striking resemblance to another major recent seizure by DRI on 18-19 September 2026, when officers intercepted two Thar vehicles near Palwal Toll Plaza near- Delhi and recovered more than 15 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at more than Rs.23 crore from sophisticated concealed cavities fabricated in the vehicles’ chassis. Preliminary intelligence in that case indicated that the gold had been smuggled from Myanmar.

These cases highlight the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by organised gold-smuggling networks to transport contraband across the country by concealing it in specially engineered cavities in vehicles. DRI remains resolute in identifying such evolving concealment techniques, dismantling smuggling networks and safeguarding the country’s economic and revenue interests.

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KT/KMN

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