Five Arrested in Alleged Gold Smuggling Case at Indore Airport; Gold Worth Rs 1.44 Crore Seized

DRI seizes 1.02 kg of allegedly smuggled gold disguised as silver bracelets; Air India Express employee and Customs executive assistant among those arrested.

PTI, August 5, 2026, Indore : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a gold smuggling racket operating at the Indore International Airport in Madhya Pradesh with the arrest of five persons, including a Customs department official and an employee of a private airline, officials said on Wednesday.

Over one kilogram of foreign gold worth approximately Rs 1.44 crore was seized from the accused during the operation conducted on August 3 at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, the DRI said in a release.

The modus operandi adopted by this syndicate was unique. The passengers carrying foreign-origin gold from Abu Dhabi, after de-boarding the aircraft, were handing over the smuggled precious metal to an Air India Express employee at the aerobridge before entering the Customs arrival area, it said.

The Air India Express employee then used to get down from the aerobridge by stairs on the tarmac, bypassing Immigration and Customs, and would hand over the smuggled gold to syndicate members waiting outside the airport, it added.

“Acting on intelligence inputs, the DRI officers kept discreet surveillance outside the airport on August 3. After some time, a car with two syndicate members entered the airport premises and stopped at a short distance from the arrival point,” the agency said in its release.

Shortly, a person dressed in the official uniform of Air India Express approached the car and delivered the parcel/article to the persons inside it. Immediately after receiving the parcel, the car rushed towards the exit point of the airport. But the vehicle was swiftly intercepted by the DRI officers after strategically cordoning off the exit road of the airport, it added.

A detailed search of the vehicle by the DRI officers resulted in the recovery of two silver-coloured metal ‘kadas’ (bracelets) inside the glove box of the car. Upon rubbing the outer surface of these articles on a hard surface, it was observed that they were actually made of gold and had been coated with a layer of silver with the intention of concealing their true nature and evading detection by the Customs authorities, it added.

Subsequently, DRI officers confirmed the identity of the passenger who had carried the gold from Abu Dhabi, the release said, adding that the passenger was also intercepted.

The Air India Express employee, who was actively involved in helping this syndicate in smuggling, was also identified and intercepted by DRI officers.

Detailed questioning of the accused showed that an executive assistant of Indore Customs was also helping this syndicate in the smuggling of foreign-origin gold into India.

According to the release, 1.02 kg of 24-carat gold in the form of two silver-coloured metallic kadas, having a market value of Rs 1.44 crore, was seized and all five persons were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

In another operation in the state, DRI officers intercepted two persons at Katni Junction railway station and recovered one foreign-origin gold bar weighing 748.10 grams, which was concealed in a specially made cloth waist belt for smuggling.

According to the release, the accused duo was travelling from Howrah railway station by the Howrah–CSMT Mumbai Mail (Train No. 12321) to deliver this smuggled gold to a Katni-based jeweller. In the follow-up search conducted at the premises of the jeweller, 220.9 grams of foreign-origin gold was also recovered.

In total, 969 grams of smuggled gold, having a market value of Rs 1.39 crore, was seized and three accused were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.