DRI Dismantles Major Gold Smuggling and Illegal Melting Syndicate; Assets Worth ₹14.13 Crore Seized
NEW DELHI — March 15, 2026 — In a massive crackdown on organized financial crime, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has unearthed a sophisticated cross-state syndicate involved in smuggling, melting, and illegally selling foreign-origin gold.
The operation, which spanned Delhi and Kolkata, led to the arrest of six individuals and the seizure of gold, silver, and cash worth approximately ₹14.13 crore. Acting on precise intelligence, DRI officers first intercepted a carrier arriving at the New Delhi Railway Station from Kolkata with foreign-marked gold.
This arrest triggered a series of raids that exposed a clandestine melting facility in Delhi used to deface foreign markings to evade detection. Subsequent investigations in Kolkata led to the capture of the syndicate’s mastermind at another illegal unit, where smuggled gold was processed before being transported via rail routes.
In total, authorities recovered over 8,286 grams of gold, 7.3 kg of silver, and ₹51.74 lakh in cash under the Customs Act, 1962, effectively disrupting a major network aimed at destabilizing the domestic bullion market.