The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) nabbed and arrested two passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Wednesday for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth over Rs 7.69 crore.
Officials revealed that two passengers were ordered to deliver 9,487 grams of gold to one of the suspects involved in a large smuggling scheme. According to DRI officials, the operation was based on intelligence, which led to the arrest of the passengers, who were traveling on flight IX 1762 from Jaipur to Mumbai.
“While checking the luggage of the passengers, we found three parcels containing imported gold, weighing 9,487 grams and worth Rs 7.69 crore,” said a DRI official.
During interrogation, the passengers admitted that they were trying to smuggle the gold into the city. “The gold was imported through an international air route. Additionally, it was found that both the passengers were traveling under fake identity cards,” the officer added.
Authorities are now investigating the origin of the smuggled gold and working to identify other people linked to the wider smuggling network.