Kempegowda gold bust: DRI seizes Rs 5 crore of gold after uncovering a international smuggling ring at Bengaluru airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has uncovered an international gold smuggling network at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and has seized gold worth Rs 5 crore, reports PTI.

An official told PTI that five individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the case, and efforts are ongoing to trace the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network.

How the gang operated?

An official told PTI that five individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the case, and efforts are ongoing to trace the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network.

Officials said the contraband was cleverly hidden in paste form within capsule-shaped packets, underscoring the sophisticated techniques used by the syndicate.

Smuggling method and concealment tactics

Investigations found that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately selected Bengaluru as a transit hub, taking advantage of longer layovers to enable covert exchanges within the airport premises.

“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.

The use of coded exchanges in restricted zones helped the syndicate evade routine checks, it added, noting that the probe also revealed insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.

Insider role and operational network

“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.

The operation also exposed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.

Authorities said preliminary findings point to the involvement of a broader international network.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.

Operation details and seizure

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers from the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit carried out surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.

The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, resulted in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold valued at about Rs 5 crore in paste form.

“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.

Officials said the case highlights the growing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to tackling such organised economic offences.

(With inputs from PTI)