Ahmedabad: Investigating a gold smuggling case, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major smuggling syndicate. This comes after the DRI seized 1,246.48 grams of 24K gold, valued at ₹1.62 crore, from a passenger who arrived at SVP Airport in the city on a flight from Jeddah on 14 November 2025. The gold, packed in four capsules wrapped in white tape, was ingeniously concealed inside the life jacket pouch beneath a passenger seat.

During the 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 revelation, the inquiry found that two staff members of a reputed airline, including a Senior Executive (Security) and an Assistant Manager (Security), were also involved in facilitating the smuggling attempt.

The probe further indicated that the syndicate may have smuggled gold worth around ₹16 crore in more than 10 instances over the past two months.

Digital evidence and corroborative statements confirmed that these individuals were key operators of an organised smuggling syndicate and were operating in coordination with accomplices based abroad. All four individuals involved in the network were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. DeshGujarat