A male crew member of Air India has been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for smuggling gold worth ₹1.41 crore into India. He was caught at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after landing from New York on Air India flight AI-116.
Read more: Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Air India Announces ₹25 Lakh Help for Families of Victims
According to DRI officials, they had specific information that a gold smuggling gang was using airline staff to bring gold from the U.S. into India. Initially, nothing suspicious was found on the crew member. But during questioning, he admitted to hiding a pouch filled with gold bars near the baggage area while taking a post-flight alcohol test.
The pouch, which was wrapped in black duct tape, was later recovered and found to contain 1.373 kg of gold. The crew member also confessed to smuggling gold in the past.
Based on his statement, DRI officials arrested the mastermind behind the smuggling operation. He had been using airline crew to secretly transport gold into the country and also admitted his role in the racket.
Both the crew member and the gang leader have been arrested under the Customs Act, 1962.
Also See: Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad: What the Government Shared in First Press Conference?
This is not the first such case. In September 2023, DRI had arrested six people, including an airline security staff member, for a similar gold smuggling case.
A DRI official said that many airline and airport staff members have been found involved in such crimes. Air India has not yet given any statement on this incident.
