DRI busts gang smuggling in capsules of gold paste in their rectum

Indian authorities bust a syndicate of gold smugglers, arresting 11 people, including airport staff, for smuggling gold paste in capsules hidden in their rectums. The smugglers would arrive from Dubai or Bangkok to Mumbai airport and excrete the gold paste, which would be collected by members of airport staff. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized around 3.5kg of gold from the accused so far. The syndicate was made up of at least 20 passengers who smuggled gold on a rotation basis.

Mumbai: The authorities have busted a gang of smugglers, members of which would arrive from Dubai or Bangkok each carrying in their rectum — two to three capsules each containing about half a kilogram of gold paste — and excreted it during their transit at Mumbai airport. The gold paste would be collected by members of airport staff, who were a part of the racket.

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has so far made 11 arrests, which includes some of the airport staff members, in this case. About three and a half kilograms of gold have been seized from the accused. The DRI has learnt that the accused are a part of a bigger syndicate of at least 20 passengers, who smuggle gold on a rotation basis.

The arrested accused are Ramesh Sunke, Sachin Julum (airport staffer, who worked at the duty-free shop in the departure area of the airport), Naveen Achantani, Rahul Bathija, Vikram Khatri, Jeetu Chhapru, Vashudev Pherwani, Subham Kadam (, an airport staff working at the Food Court at the departure area), Mukesh Valmiki (who worked at the airport and was responsible for arranging staff), Mangesh Patil and Krishna Gowda.

All the accused were produced before the court on Sunday. While Sunke, Julum, Achantani, Kadam, Patil and Gowda were remanded in judicial custody, Bhatija, Khatri, Chhapru, Pherwani and Valmiki were remanded to DRI custody till May 11.

The agency studied the modus operandi of the syndicate and learnt that the accused took the help of the staff of firms, who are operating inside the airport such as staff of duty-free shops, staff of food stores and airline staff. The agency also learnt that another syndicate member, Valmiki, whose job was to arrange the staff inside the airport, used to take the delivery of the gold from the passengers because he was well-versed with the airport area.

Acting on a tip off, the DRI officials intercepted Sunke, who had collected the smuggled gold from an airport staffer. What followed was the unravelling of the syndicate as each arrested person gave up the name of another and the number of arrests kept piling up.

The DRI officials had got information that Sunke had collected the smuggled gold from an airport staffer. The officials intercepted Sunke near the airport road metro station on Andheri-Ghatkopar Road where the accused had received five capsules containing gold weighing 2.15 kilograms in paste form from Julum.

Based on Sunke’s confession, the officials arrested Achantani, who had arrived from Bangkok on May 6 and his onward flight was scheduled from Mumbai to Dubai. He had smuggled in gold and handed it over to Kadam.

DRI officials arrested them and seized 1.2 kilograms of gold. During interrogation, Achantani confessed that he was working for Bhatija alias Sameer alias Rishi in lieu of money.

Achantani also revealed that before boarding the flight in Bangkok, he was handed three capsules with gold dust in wax form by a person at the behest of Bhatija. He was told to smuggle the gold into India and divert it to his associate in the transit area of the Mumbai airport.

The DRI official then intercepted Bhatija, who revealed the name of his other two associates — Khatri and Chhapru — both of whom were involved in gold smuggling with airport staff.

Khatri confessed that he has around 20 passengers, who regularly travel to Dubai and Bangkok for the purpose of smuggling gold in India and that they work on a rotation basis.

Bhatija used to handle the management of the syndicate and forwarded passengers details etc to Chhapru and Pherwani on their mobile phones.

Chhapru had employed Patil and Gowda for smuggling gold. Valmiki and Patil had recruited Sunke, who later roped in Julum. Gowda had recruited Kadam.