It's destination Mumbai airport for smugglers trying to sneak in gold

Criminals seem to prefer the city because it is both a transit hub and a large market for the precious metal

When gold worth Rs 12.58 crore was seized at Mumbai’s international airport in October, the method of smuggling was familiar to the authorities. The gold was concealed in egg-shaped wax capsules inside the smugglers’ bodies, with foreign nationals and airport staff among the 13 people arrested.

 

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said the seizure was part of a broader pattern of gold smuggling at various Indian airports. While seizures have largely declined nationwide (along with reduced import duty caps and rising domestic gold prices), those at Mumbai airport have grown disproportionately.

 

DRI’s gold seizures increased from 1,422 kg to