Delhi Customs busts gold smuggling syndicate at IGI airport, seizes 6.5kg gold worth ₹9.9 crore

The bust prompted staff transfers, one suspension and a vigilance inquiry into possible collusion and supervisory lapses.

Delhi Customs has busted a gold smuggling syndicate at Indira Gandhi International Airport and seized 6.5kg of gold, worth around ₹9.9 crore, from eight passengers who arrived from Dubai last month, an official said on Thursday.

The gold was concealed in the form of metallic chains, coated in black and silver. (Representational Photo/REUTERS)

Following the bust, several Customs officers posted at the airport were shifted to non-sensitive back-office postings or repatriated, while one officer was suspended. “A vigilance inquiry has also been ordered to examine allegations of collusion and supervisory lapses, including whether negligence or a possible nexus allowed the same smuggling route to be repeatedly used,” an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

The smugglers were intercepted on September 21 based on specific intelligence shared by the office of chief commissioner Manish Kumar, the official said. The gold was concealed in the form of metallic chains, coated in black and silver.

Investigators found that the syndicate allegedly undertook an operation every three to four months. “The latest seizure has exposed the pattern and led to the network being disrupted,” the official said.

Customs has reported a sharp increase in recoveries this financial year, seizing 42.91kg of gold so far, whereas the total seizure in the 2025-26 fiscal was 47.15kg, the official said.

Narcotics and psychotropic substances weighing 737kg have been seized in the first six months of this fiscal, compared to 786.84kg in 2025-26, the official said.

The official said the action followed continuous surveillance, data analysis and intelligence inputs aimed at identifying smuggling patterns. The Delhi Customs Zone recorded 279 seizures in 2025-26 and has registered 203 cases in the first six months of the current financial year.

The chief commissioner said the department would maintain strict vigilance at IGIA and follow a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.