Foreign gold worth ₹7.11 crore seized at PDDU Junction; West Bengal woman arrested.
Chandauli: In a major operation at the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (PDDU) Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 4,983.360 grams of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹7.11 crore. A woman from West Bengal has been arrested in connection with the case. Preliminary investigations revealed that the seized gold had been brought into West Bengal via Bangladesh and was intended to be transported to Delhi. The DRI has now launched an investigation into the entire smuggling network.
According to reports, the DRI team had received confidential information regarding gold smuggling. Acting on this tip-off, officials stepped up surveillance at the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Railway Station. On Thursday evening, around 7:11 PM, officials monitored the movements of a suspicious woman and, following questioning, conducted a search. During the search, they discovered 42 foreign gold biscuits—carefully concealed within newspaper wrappings—inside a red bag strapped around the woman’s waist.
The total weight of the seized gold was recorded at 4,983.360 grams, with an estimated value of approximately ₹7.11 crore in the international market. DRI officials seized the gold on the spot, took the woman into custody, and initiated interrogation.
During initial questioning, the woman admitted that the gold had been illegally brought into West Bengal via Bangladesh. She had been tasked with transporting the consignment to Delhi. She reportedly stated that she was to receive a payment of ₹1 lakh for safely delivering the gold to Delhi. However, the DRI is independently verifying this statement and attempting to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network.
Officials believe this case goes beyond a single individual transporting gold; there is a suspicion that an organized interstate—and potentially international—smuggling syndicate is operating behind the scenes. Investigative agencies are working to identify who supplied the gold consignment, who was supposed to receive it in Delhi, and the identities of all individuals involved in the network. The DRI suspects that smugglers are constantly adopting new methods to evade detection by investigative agencies. The tactic used by the woman—concealing gold biscuits inside newspaper wrappings within a red bag strapped to her waist—is viewed as part of this strategy. The agency is now examining the woman’s mobile phone, travel details, contacts, and financial transactions.
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Railway Station is one of the country’s busiest railway junctions and a crucial link connecting Eastern India with North India. Consequently, the station remains under the special surveillance of investigative agencies regarding smuggling activities. Cases involving the smuggling of narcotics, gold, foreign currency, and other contraband are frequently uncovered here.
Investigative agencies report a rise in cross-border gold smuggling cases in recent years. Attempts are frequently made to bring gold into India—particularly via Bangladesh and other neighboring countries—and transport it to various metropolitan cities. Smugglers often employ ordinary travelers or economically disadvantaged individuals as carriers to minimize suspicion.
DRI officials stated that a case has been registered against the arrested woman under the Customs Act and other relevant legal provisions; formalities for her court appearance are currently underway. Simultaneously, the agency is investigating whether she has been involved in such smuggling activities previously or if this is her first offense.
Officials indicate that the investigation could extend across multiple states, with scrutiny directed at suspected smuggling networks active in West Bengal, Delhi, and border regions. Legal action will be taken against any other individuals found to be involved in the case.
The DRI has also appealed to the public to promptly report any suspicious activity related to the smuggling of gold or other contraband to the relevant agencies. Officials emphasize that effective curbs on such organized crimes can only be achieved with public cooperation. For now, this operation is being hailed as one of the major successes against gold smuggling at the PDDY Railway Station in recent times. Investigative agencies are now working to determine the final destination of the seized foreign gold consignment and to identify the individuals operating the smuggling network behind it.