Mumbai: On the basis of a specific intelligence that gold smuggled from Africa through Mumbai International Airport was being processed at a melting facility to remove the foreign markings and was being diverted to the local market, DRI team initiated action on 22nd April 2023.
Accordingly, the officers of DRI MZU searched a melting facility and seized 9.31 Kg of gold in various forms including foreign-origin gold and 16.66 Kg of silver. Further, the melting facility operator and a recruiter (a key member of the syndicate) who arranges for carriers and collects the smuggled gold for onward processing were also apprehended.
On enquiry, it was revealed that the recruiter collects gold from many carriers from various African Nationals, gets it processed and hands it over to a buyer located nearby.