Rs 23.63-Crore Gold Hidden In Aircraft: Inside Operation Sky Vault & Midas Mop At Mumbai Airport

Published 25 July 2026 · local

Rs 23.63-Crore Gold Hidden In Aircraft: Inside Operation Sky Vault & Midas Mop At Mumbai Airport Reported By, Last Updated: July 25, 2026, 18:15 IST

Rs 23.63-Crore Gold Hidden In Aircraft: Inside Operation Sky Vault & Midas Mop At Mumbai Airport Reported By, Last Updated: July 25, 2026, 18:15 IST The operations exposed a well-planned modus operandi in which smugglers allegedly hid gold inside aircraft before it was secretly retrieved by airport-linked operatives Rapid Read The seized gold. In one of the biggest crackdowns on organised gold smuggling in recent months, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled two separate syndicates operating through Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), seizing 15.764 kg of foreign-origin gold worth ₹23.63 crore and arresting eight people. The back-to-back operations exposed a well-planned modus operandi in which smugglers allegedly hid gold inside aircraft before it was secretly retrieved by airport-linked operatives, allowing the contraband to bypass customs checks. The first operation, codenamed “Operation Sky Vault," was carried out between July 23 and 24.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted three foreign nationals who had arrived in Mumbai from Addis Ababa. A detailed search of the aircraft led to the recovery of 12.004 kg of 24-carat foreign-origin gold bars valued at around ₹18 crore. According to investigators, the passengers had concealed the gold inside the aircraft instead of carrying it through the airport. The plan was to have the hidden gold collected later by members of the smuggling network. In a separate intelligence-led operation, “Operation Midas Mop," conducted between July 22 and 23, DRI officials unearthed another syndicate using a similar strategy. Officers intercepted two aircraft cleaning staff members, one passenger and two other suspected associates. The operation resulted in the seizure of 3.76 kg of 24-carat foreign-origin gold dust in wax form, valued at nearly ₹5.63 crore.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the gold had been concealed inside an aircraft that had arrived from Dubai. The cleaning staff allegedly played a crucial role in retrieving the hidden consignment from the aircraft before smuggling it out of the airport and handing it over to contacts waiting outside. Officials believe the syndicates were operating through a coordinated network involving passengers and airport personnel, making the concealment inside aircraft a key part of the smuggling chain. All eight accused have been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Investigators are now probing the larger network to identify other handlers, receivers and financiers linked to the racket. The DRI said the twin operations highlight its continued focus on intelligence-driven enforcement against organised gold smuggling and efforts to prevent illicit inflow of precious metals through Indian airports.