The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major gold smuggling racket in West Bengal. Officers seized 24 kg of foreign-origin gold worth around ₹34 crore. Seven persons linked to the operation stand arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
How DRI Cracked the Gold Smuggling Network
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted seven men on motorcycles. At the time, the group was travelling from Krishnanagar towards Chakdaha in Nadia district. During the search, officials recovered 180 pieces of foreign-marked gold bars. Notably, smugglers had hidden the bars inside specially stitched cloth belts. They had worn these belts around their waists to dodge detection.
Subsequently, officials confiscated the gold under the Customs Act, 1962. As a result, this gold smuggling bust ranks among DRI’s biggest regional hauls this year. According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, the action forms part of a wider crackdown on cross-border smuggling.
The recovered foreign-origin gold collectively weighed approximately 24 kilograms and carried an estimated market value of nearly ₹34 crore.
Read the official statement here
Investigation Into the Smuggling Case Continues
Preliminary findings show the carriers collected gold near the Indo-Bangladesh border. They then planned to hand it over to another set of carriers further inland. This, in turn, points to a well-organised gold smuggling chain across state lines. Meanwhile, investigators are now tracing the source and final destination of the gold. They also aim to identify other members of the wider syndicate. At present, all seven arrested carriers remain in custody under Customs Act provisions.
Meanwhile, India has recorded a sharp rise in gold smuggling cases along its eastern border this year. Smugglers often target remote, unmanned stretches near the India-Bangladesh border. According to officials, cheaper gold prices in neighbouring countries continue to fuel this illegal trade. To evade detection, carriers typically use motorcycles, trains, and couriers to avoid checkpoints.
In response, DRI has stepped up patrols across Nadia and other border districts. Additionally, the agency works closely with the Border Security Force to track suspicious movement. As a result, such coordination has helped uncover several large-scale gold smuggling networks in recent months. Consequently, officials expect enforcement activity to remain high through the rest of 2026.
This latest gold smuggling bust adds to DRI’s growing list of enforcement actions in 2026. Going forward, the agency continues to monitor border districts for similar illegal movement of precious metals.
Follow The World Times for more such updates!
