DRI Seizes 591 kg Ganja, 43.2 Lakh Smuggled Cigarettes, Drugs and Gold Worth ₹19.41 Crore in Nationwide Crackdown.
Three arrested in gold smuggling case; operations expose cross-border trafficking networks linked to Nepal, Myanmar and international routes.
New Delhi:
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intensified its crackdown on cross-border smuggling and narcotics trafficking, conducting a series of intelligence-led operations across the country that resulted in the seizure of 591.3 kg of ganja, 43.2 lakh foreign-origin cigarettes, over 10 kg of amphetamine and cocaine, and 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold worth approximately ₹19.41 crore. The operations led to multiple arrests and exposed organised smuggling networks operating through road and air routes.
The seizures were made during coordinated operations in Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Bengaluru, near Nagpur, New Delhi and Gujarat between October 14 and 18, according to the Ministry of Finance.
591 kg of ganja seized in Uttar Pradesh
In a major operation conducted during October 17–18, DRI officers seized 591.3 kg of ganja suspected to have been smuggled from Nepal into Uttar Pradesh.
Acting on specific intelligence, officers at Gorakhpur coordinated with teams in Lucknow, Patna and Varanasi to track a truck suspected of carrying the contraband through the Sonauli route. After more than four hours of surveillance, the vehicle was intercepted on the road between Gorakhpur and Kushinagar.
A detailed search revealed two specially fabricated concealed compartments, one above the vehicle’s hood and another behind the driver’s seat. The compartments contained 81 packets of ganja weighing 591.3 kg in total.
The entire consignment and the truck were seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
43.2 lakh foreign cigarettes seized in Mizoram
In another operation, the DRI seized 43.2 lakh sticks of foreign-origin cigarettes valued at ₹8.64 crore in Mizoram.
Acting on intelligence about a truck transporting a large consignment towards Aizawl, officers of the DRI’s Aizawl Regional Unit intercepted the vehicle at Tuirial village along the Champhai–Aizawl road.
The search resulted in the recovery of 432 cases containing 43,20,000 sticks of Patron-brand cigarettes. Investigators found that the cigarette packets lacked the mandatory pictorial and health warnings prescribed under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.
The cigarettes and the truck were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, and the driver was arrested. Preliminary investigations indicated that the consignment had been smuggled from Myanmar through the Zokhawthar sector along the Mizoram–Myanmar border.
Amphetamine and cocaine seized; three arrested
The DRI also seized approximately 7.136 kg of amphetamine in two operations and 3.134 kg of cocaine in a third, arresting three persons in connection with these cases.
At Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, officers intercepted a passenger arriving from Delhi on October 14. A search of the passenger’s baggage led to the recovery of 5.166 kg of amphetamine.
In a separate operation near Khapa Phata in Saoner, on the outskirts of Nagpur, officers intercepted an Indian national travelling by bus from Delhi to Hyderabad. A search of his backpack revealed 1.97 kg of amphetamine concealed inside a new ladies’ suit and another packet hidden within the bag’s lining.
The third operation was conducted at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi during October 15–16. A passenger arriving from Ghana was intercepted at Terminal 3, and a search of his baggage led to the recovery of six packets containing 3.134 kg of cocaine.
The contraband recovered in all three operations was seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, and the passengers were arrested.
Gold smuggling syndicate dismantled in Gujarat
In a major action against organised gold smuggling, the DRI dismantled a syndicate operating through Ahmedabad and Surat airports, with links to an illegal gold-melting facility in Vadodara and a financier based in Dubai.
The operation, which involved coordinated searches over 42 hours beginning October 16, uncovered dealings involving 13.017 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹19.41 crore. Three persons were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
Investigations revealed that smugglers allegedly used passengers to bring gold into India through sophisticated concealment methods. These included thin gold wires coated with rhodium, gold embedded in the inner linings of trolley bags and gold paste concealed within bags’ inner shells.
After arriving at the airports, the gold was allegedly handed over to handlers and transported through intermediaries to an unauthorised melting facility in Vadodara. The melted gold was subsequently supplied to a jewellery outlet in Ahmedabad for cash sales.
During the operation, officers seized approximately 890 grams of gold and recovered evidence relating to 6.41 kg of illegally melted gold. Further searches at the jewellery shop resulted in the recovery of undocumented foreign-origin gold bars and records of transactions involving approximately 5.8 kg of smuggled gold routed through another handler linked to the syndicate’s Dubai-based financier.
The investigation identified the alleged roles of passengers, handlers, intermediaries, the melting facility operator and the jewellery trade channel in facilitating the smuggling network.
The DRI said the operations demonstrated its continued efforts to disrupt organised smuggling networks, detect sophisticated concealment methods and prevent the illegal movement of narcotics, tobacco products and precious metals through India’s international borders, airports and road networks.
