DRI seizes 61.5 kg gold worth over Rs 30 cr at Delhi airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), on Thursday, seized 61.5 kg of gold concealed in triangle valves imported at Delhi's air cargo complex in the Indira Gandhi International airport.

An exorbitant number of imported triangle valves had 24 karat gold hidden in them, the DRI found. About 61.5 kgs of gold, with a market value of Rs. 32.5 croroe and 99 per cent purity was recovered and seized by the officers.

The covert intelligence operation was codenamed 'Golden Tap'. 

DRI intercepted the air cargo consignment on the suspicion that it might have smuggled gold. The consignment that contained triangle valves originated from Guangzhou, China, and had arrived the Delhi Airport by a Japan Airlines flight.

The Ministry of Finance in its statement has said that the intricate method of concealment, which necessitated a careful and time-consuming extraction process, would have escaped detection had it not been for the specific intelligence gathered by DRI officers.

The government further noted that this detection is part of a series of other recent gold seizures from air cargo and courier consignments made by the DRI.

"These include the seizures of 11 kg of gold worth more than Rs. 5.88 crore in Lucknow and Mumbai in May, 2022 and previous seizures of 16.79 kg gold, valued at Rs 8 crore,  from a courier consignment in July, 2021, followed by the seizure of 80.13 kg gold, valued at Rs. 39.31 crore, in November, 2021 from an air cargo consignment - both at New Delhi," the ministry stated.