The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intensified its crackdown on gold smuggling syndicates, resulting in the seizure of over 27 kilograms of foreign-origin smuggled gold and the arrest of 12 persons. The Ministry of Finance said that DRI officers carried out a series of intelligence-driven operations across the country during the week.

In Mumbai, DRI officers arrested three passengers arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and recovered six foreign-origin gold bars weighing around 12 kilograms. The gold was concealed inside the ceiling panels of the rear lavatory of the aircraft.

In another operation, a female passenger was arrested while allegedly smuggling 42 foreign-origin gold bars weighing around five kilograms on the Brahmaputra Mail in Uttar Pradesh. The Ministry said that during questioning, the woman admitted that the gold had been smuggled into India through Bangladesh.

Several other operations were carried out in Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, and Guwahati, leading to the arrest of eight more persons.