Ahmedabad: A gold smuggling racket operating through IndiGo flights at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has been uncovered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), exposing the involvement of airline security officials and a city café owner. Investigators estimate that gold worth nearly ₹16 crore was smuggled over a two-month period.

According to the DRI, the network used a Botim app group named “Restro” to coordinate smuggling operations. The group allegedly included IndiGo security staff—Senior Executive (Security) Altaf Usman and Assistant Manager (Security) Sandeep Mastraw—and Ismail Kacheri Kunnumal Kunhipokar, an Ahmedabad café owner who claimed to hold a PhD. Ismail is suspected of recruiting and managing carriers for the operation.

The racket came to light after passenger Mohammad Abdul Nasir Thottathil, arriving from Jeddah on IndiGo flight 6E76 on 14 November 2025, was suspected of carrying concealed gold. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials conducted a seat-by-seat inspection at around 3:25 am and discovered four gold-filled capsules wrapped with white tape hidden in the life-jacket pouch under seat 30F. The seat was allotted to Thottathil, who was detained near the airport’s green channel shortly after.

Examination of his mobile phone led investigators to the Restro Botim group, where photos of gold parcels, seat codewords, and instructions were shared. The probe revealed that a handler named Jihadhi Zaman Sharif would relay parcel images and seat details to the group, enabling the airline officials to retrieve the gold once the flight landed and pass it out of the airport undetected.

Based on CCTV footage from the aircraft and airport, along with digital evidence, the DRI has detained Ismail Kunnumal Kunhipokar, Altaf Usman, and Sandeep Mastraw for questioning. Investigators are now tracing financial flows to determine how proceeds were distributed among the members.

The operation recently resulted in the seizure of gold worth ₹1.62 crore, and officials believe further arrests may follow as the investigation deepens.

Official note:

Investigating a gold smuggling case, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) exposed a network following a seizure of gold concealed in an aircraft that had arrived at SVP International Airport, Ahmedabad.

DRI, had seized 1246.48 grams of 24K gold, valued at ₹1.62 crore, from a passenger arriving on a flight from Jeddah on 14th November 2025. The gold in four capsules wrapped in white tape was found ingeniously concealed inside the life jacket pouch beneath a passenger seat.

During subsequent investigation, a person, who also runs a café in Ahmedabad, and claims to be a Ph.D holder, was identified as a key coordinator responsible for recruiting carriers and managing operations. In a surprising turn of events, inquiry revealed that two staff members of a reputed airlines, including a Senior Executive (security) and an Assistant Manager (security), were also found to be involved in facilitating the smuggling attempt. Inquiry revealed that the syndicate may have smuggled similar gold consignments worth around Rs. 16 crore in more than 10 instances in the past 2 months.

Digital evidence and corroborative statements confirm that these individuals were key operators of an organised smuggling syndicate, and operating in tandem with other perpetrators abroad. All four individuals involved in the syndicate were placed under arrest as per the provisions of the Customs Act 1962.

The successful operation by the DRI, underscores the agency’s unwavering commitment to dismantling organised crime syndicates.