By Admin 
Indians understand the real value of how precious gold is, where about 1 thousand tonnes of gold is consumed every year. That is why this country has become the choice of smugglers. Smugglers see nothing in their quest to make profit in gold smuggling. Sometimes they smuggle gold by hiding it in their anus, and sometimes women smuggle it by hiding it in their vagina. Recently, 24 Kenyan women were caught in Mumbai and gold worth about Rs 28 crore was seized from them. So let us know such unique stories of gold smuggling in the explainer…
Question 1: What is the case of gold worth Rs 38 crore seized at Mumbai airport?
answer: On 8-9 April 2026, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted ‘Operation Dhahabu Blitz’ at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Under this, 24 Kenyan women who came from Nairobi, Kenya on flight KQ 202 were caught smuggling gold. A total of 29.37 kg gold was seized. This includes 25.10 kg gold bars and 4.27 kg jewellery. The total price was said to be around Rs 37.74-38 crore.
The gold was hidden in the form of clothes, bags, shoes, jackets and some capsules. The women were trained careerists who were trained by an organized syndicate. DRI stopped him near the Green Channel on the basis of intelligence and digital profiling. This is the biggest case of this year at Mumbai Airport.
Question 2: What are the unique methods of gold smuggling in India?
answer: Smugglers come up with new ways to smuggle gold into India. Many times gold is hidden in undergarments, belts, jackets, children’s toys, TV, machinery, private parts and even in the anus…
- Hiding gold in private parts: On April 8, 2026, DRI arrested 5 people at Kempegowda Airport in Bengaluru. 3.3 kg of high-purity gold was found with them, whose value was around Rs 5 crore. Smugglers were making capsules of gold paste and putting them in private. The syndicate included Bangladeshi operatives and local handlers.
- Smuggling of gold by hiding it in the rectum: On 8 October 2017, 29 Sri Lankan passengers were caught from two flights at Madurai International Airport in Tamil Nadu. He had more than 10 kg of gold pieces of 30-600 grams. He had brought them hidden inside his rectum. However, due to less gold per person, no criminal charges were imposed, only the gold was confiscated.
- Smuggling by swallowing gold in the throat: On February 22, 2026, a passenger coming from Abu Dhabi had swallowed 135 grams of 24 carat gold capsules at Ahmedabad Airport. Their price was Rs 21.89 lakh. Air Intelligence Unit seized 3 gold capsules and 1 non-precious capsule.
Apart from this, many shocking cases have come to light:
- On 9 November 2024, 6 kg gold worth Rs 4.72 crore was caught hidden in underwear at Surat Airport in Gujarat.
- On June 11, 2024, 32.79 kg of gold worth Rs 19.15 crore was seized from two foreign women at Mumbai Airport, which was hidden in undergarments and luggage.
- On 15-18 April 2024, 9.482 kg gold worth Rs 5.71 crore was seized in 14 cases at Mumbai Airport. 8 people were arrested. This gold was brought hidden in the anus, body and undergarments.
Women are more involved in gold smuggling. DRI officials told that women hide gold in their vagina. In such cases one has to wait.
Question 3: Why do people risk their lives in gold smuggling?
answer: The biggest reason for gold smuggling is profit. Gold is sold expensive in India, whereas it is cheaper abroad. At present the import duty is 6% and by saving tax, smugglers earn Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per kilogram of gold. In 2025-26, gold prices reached a record high (Rs 1.6 crore per kg), due to which smuggling increased further.
- In India, by saving duty and 3% local tax after sale, profit per kilogram of gold ranges from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
- Duty was reduced from 15% to 6% in 2025, even after which profits remained as gold prices were skyrocketing.
- Overall, the underground market of smuggling is worth billions. India is the second largest gold purchasing country in the world, where about 1000 tonnes of gold is consumed every year.
Question 4: How much money do carriers like Kenyan make in smuggling?
answer: The syndicate pays 5-10% or a fixed amount of the total cargo to the carrier. In a report, it is mentioned that the carrier in the case got Rs 12-13 lakh in one trip. This money is very big in Kenya or Africa. People get ready due to poverty, unemployment and compulsion to run the family. The syndicate trains them to hide gold in clothes, bags and in their rectums, and also provides them with flight tickets and hotel expenses. That means risk is on career, profit is on boss. If caught, jail, but sometimes bail is granted.
If we take the example of Kenyan women at Mumbai airport, the gold was worth around Rs 38 crore. If the smuggling had been successful, the syndicate would have made a profit of around Rs 1.5 to 4 crore by saving duty and tax. The women were trained carriers and were trained by the syndicate. These women are from poor countries like Kenya, where the average income is very low. He gets lakhs of rupees in one trip.
Question 5: What is the government doing to stop gold smuggling?
answer: DRI, Customs and Airport Intelligence are continuously running operations. Many big cases were caught in 2025-26. An attempt was made to reduce smuggling by reducing duty, but the demand is high. The price is high and the syndicates keep coming up with new methods. The government says that the problem will be reduced by increasing legal imports and maintaining duty balance. Efforts are on to break the international network.