SRINAGAR: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested two cleaning staff members at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai for allegedly attempting to smuggle foreign-origin gold worth Rs 1.6 crore, according to multiple national media reports.
According to officials, as per News18, investigations have revealed a smuggling syndicate that used international passengers to conceal gold inside arriving aircraft, which was later retrieved by airport staff with insider access.
The accused, both employees of an airport services company, were apprehended on Saturday, 18 October 2025, following a tip-off about gold being smuggled through concealment within aircraft and recovery by insider staff.
Acting on the intelligence, the DRI mounted discreet surveillance at the airport. During the operation, a team leader of the cleaning staff was spotted hastily placing a packet on the aerobridge staircase upon noticing DRI officers.
The packet was recovered and found to contain gold dust in wax form, wrapped under a white cloth. The suspect was immediately detained and, during questioning, confessed that he had hidden the packet to evade detection.
He further revealed that his supervisor had retrieved the gold from an aircraft and handed it to him for safekeeping. Based on this confession, the supervisor was also taken into custody.
In total, 1.2 kg of 24-karat gold dust, valued at approximately Rs 1.6 crore, was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, officials confirmed.
