In a significant crackdown on an international gold smuggling network, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has busted a high-profile syndicate operating through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Acting on accurate intelligence, DRI officials intercepted an Air India crew member and seized smuggled gold worth more than Rs 1.41 crore. In this case, the kingpin of this syndicate along with the crew member has been arrested by DRI.
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The incident came to light on June 13, when a crew member from Air India flight AI-116, arriving from New York, was suspected of illegally bringing restricted items into the country. The accused, identified as Girish Pimple, was intercepted at the airport’s exit gate by DRI officials after he passed through the green channel without declaring any goods.
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Upon searching him, officers recovered a valet parking slip containing handwritten notes that detailed the weight, purchase cost, and profit calculation for 1,373.2 grams of gold. Another sticky note with similar notations was also seized. During interrogation, Pimple admitted that he was part of a gold smuggling operation and had hidden the gold pouches behind a sofa in the Baggage Services area of the international arrivals hall to avoid detection.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of six gold items—three gold bars and three cut pieces—neatly packed in concealed pouches. The seized gold, weighing approximately 1.373 kilograms, is of foreign origin and was brought into India without any customs declaration. Officials confirmed that no crew baggage declaration was filed, and the crew member attempted to transport the gold out of the customs area in clear violation of the Customs Act, 1962.
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Following the recovery, the DRI seized the gold and related materials under Section 110 of the Customs Act. Pimple’s statement, recorded under Section 108 of the same Act, revealed further shocking details about the operation. He admitted he had no documents to prove ownership of the gold and named one Rakesh Rathod as the key handler and financier of the smuggling racket. Pimple alleged that Rathod had trained him and promised a commission of ₹2 lakh per kilogram of smuggled gold.
Based on this lead, the DRI summoned Rakesh Rathod the next day, June 14. In his voluntary statement, Rathod admitted that he had been receiving smuggled gold from Pimple for nearly a year. He confessed to having instructed Pimple to buy gold in cash in the US and bring it into India due to the lucrative margins. Rathod further disclosed that he had arranged $150,000 in the United States to fund the purchase of the smuggled gold and had earlier procured similar consignments from Pimple on at least two occasions. He also admitted to having been arrested by Mumbai Customs in 2020 in another gold smuggling case.
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Although both Pimple and Rathod were recorded on CCTV while giving their statements, DRI officials stated that they were largely uncooperative during the inquiry and gave evasive responses. Neither revealed the source of the foreign funds, details of domestic buyers, nor the identities of other syndicate members.
The DRI has launched a wider investigation to uncover the remaining players involved in the network and to determine the full scope of the smuggling operation.