Major smuggling racket busted at Mumbai airport, gold worth 37 crore seized, 24 women held
Authorities seize gold worth Rs 37 crore at Mumbai airport, arrest 24 women in major smuggling racket.
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has busted a major gold smuggling racket at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport arresting 24 women and seizing gold worth approximately ₹37.74 crore.
According to officials, a total of 29.37 kilograms of gold was recovered during the operation. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the DRI’s Mumbai Zonal Unit launched a special operation titled “Operation Dhahabu Blitz” on Wednesday marking one of the largest crackdowns at the airport this year. Notably, “Dhahabu” means gold in Swahili.
Officials revealed that the accused women had arrived from Nairobi and were intercepted upon landing in Mumbai. During detailed searches, authorities recovered 25.10 kilograms of gold bars along with 4.27 kilograms of gold jewellery concealed in their luggage and clothing.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the women were trained to hide the gold and bypass security checks, suggesting the involvement of a well-organized smuggling network. All the accused are being produced before the court while further investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the racket.