Secret hand-offs at Mumbai airport: Rs126 million gold, diamond smuggling racket exposed
Investigators uncover alleged smuggling network using transit passengers, airport staff
Mumbai: Indian authorities have busted an alleged international smuggling network at Mumbai airport that used secret hand-offs between transit passengers and an airport staff member to move gold into India and diamonds out of the country.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 8.564kg of 24-carat foreign-origin gold worth about Rs126.4 million and 1,168.97 carats of diamonds valued at around Rs10.9 million, according to an official government statement. Eight people were arrested.
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The operation exposed an unusual two-way system in which the same airport insider allegedly helped move contraband in opposite directions through Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Secret hand-offs inside airport
Acting on intelligence on September 30, DRI officers intercepted an airport staff member in the departure area while he was allegedly handing diamonds to an Indian passenger.
A search of the employee then uncovered three capsules containing foreign-origin gold dust in wax form.
Investigators said an international transit passenger had handed him the gold.
The staff member allegedly revealed that five more transit passengers arriving on separate flights were expected to deliver additional gold consignments.
DRI officers monitored the airport and intercepted all five as they allegedly handed gold capsules to the employee in the transit area. The passengers were scheduled to continue their journeys to Singapore and Dhaka.
23 gold capsules recovered
Authorities ultimately recovered 23 capsules containing 8.564kg of 24-carat foreign-origin gold dust in wax form.
The diamond haul totalled 1,168.97 carats — including 132.17 carats of natural diamonds and 1,036.80 carats of lab-grown stones.
Six international transit passengers, the airport staff member and the outbound Indian passenger were arrested under India’s Customs Act.
The DRI said the operation highlighted the threat posed by compromised airport personnel who can use their access to bypass normal passenger controls.
The alleged network effectively worked in both directions: foreign-origin gold was passed by international transit passengers to the insider for removal into India while diamonds were passed to outbound passengers for illicit export.
The eight accused have subsequently been remanded to judicial custody, according to Indian media reports.
