The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has busted a pan-India gold smuggling syndicate, seizing 6.61 kg of foreign-origin gold worth about 10.36 crore rupees and arresting 11 persons, including one of the alleged masterminds.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI mounted a coordinated multi-city operation on September 23 and 24. Simultaneous interceptions and searches were carried out in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Guwahati.

The network allegedly smuggled gold through the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam, then moved it across the country through courier consignments. Live courier parcels booked from Guwahati and Kolkata for delivery in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad were intercepted.

Investigators found the syndicate split gold into small consignments to avoid suspicion. Preliminary records suggest the network moved nearly 318 kg of smuggled gold worth around 475 crore rupees through the same courier channels in the first nine months of this year. Further investigation is underway.

The Finance Ministry said the operation was based on specific intelligence inputs. Seven recipients of the consignments were apprehended, while searches at consignors’ premises in Kolkata led to three more arrests. Investigators found the shippers and recipients were paper entities with no legal gold trading business.