Lucknow: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized nearly 2 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at about Rs 2.76 crore and arrested two passengers accused of smuggling the metal from Nepal to Delhi via Uttar Pradesh , officials said.
The seizure was made on Oct 26 after DRI teams, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a Delhi-bound bus in Barabanki district. During a search of the passengers and their effects, DRI officials recovered two high-purity gold bars weighing 1.996 kg. The gold was seized under provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and both men were arrested under the same law. Since Jan 2026, the agency has seized 16.47 kg of smuggled gold worth around Rs 24 crore in 10 cases across the state, arresting 12 people.
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The passengers travelled from Siddharth Nagar to Basti and then boarded the bus for Delhi, according to the agency. Investigators said they had booked tickets using fictitious names to mask their identities and movement along the route. The gold was allegedly hidden beneath the sole of a shoe worn by one of the passengers, the agency said. Officials said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the suspected smuggling syndicate and to trace the supply chain used to move the gold across states. The DRI said it has intensified surveillance along vulnerable routes in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the upcoming elections, focusing on gold and other contraband.
The two suspects, residents of Siddharth Nagar district, were believed to be carrying smuggled gold concealed in their belongings. Download the TOI App.