The operations exposed the use of road and railway networks to transport smuggled gold from border areas towards Kolkata, leading to the arrest of six persons.
In one operation, DRI officers intercepted a four-wheeler at Dankuni Toll Plaza in West Bengal. The vehicle, carrying four occupants, was travelling from Banpur, near the Bangladesh border, towards Kolkata.
A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the recovery and seizure of 50 gold bars weighing around 6.8 kg and valued at approximately Rs 10 crore. Some of the gold bars bore foreign markings.
The occupants failed to produce valid documents to establish the lawful possession of the gold. During questioning, they allegedly admitted to their involvement in smuggling foreign-origin gold into India through Bangladesh.
Significantly, the alleged kingpin of the smuggling syndicate operating in the Banpur border area was among the four persons arrested.
In a separate operation on the same day, DRI teams intercepted passengers at Malda Town Railway Station and New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in West Bengal, seizing around 1 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore.
“The two passengers were arrested after they failed to produce documents substantiating lawful procurement,” the government said in a statement.
Investigations indicated that the seized gold, in the form of bangles and bars, had been manufactured using gold smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border through Tripura.
The operations highlight the continued use of border areas along Bangladesh, as well as road and railway corridors connecting the Northeast with major markets such as Kolkata, to transport smuggled gold.
The DRI said it remained committed to dismantling organised smuggling networks through intelligence-led enforcement and coordinated action.