DRI Seizes 7.8 kg Smuggled Gold in Eastern Region, Six Held
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized about 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold worth over Rs 11.50 crore in the eastern region and arrested six persons.

Why in News
The Ministry of Finance announced on 11 October 2026 that DRI had seized over 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold worth more than Rs 11.50 crore from Bangladesh-linked smuggling routes in the eastern region and arrested six persons.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which works under the Ministry of Finance, has struck at a gold smuggling network running from Bangladesh into eastern India. In intelligence-led operations carried out on 8 and 9 October 2026, the agency took away about 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at more than Rs 11.50 crore and arrested six persons. The action brought out how both road and rail corridors are being used to carry smuggled metal from the border belt to Kolkata.
The road interception
DRI officers stopped a four-wheeler at Dankuni Toll Plaza. The vehicle was coming from Banpur, a place close to the Bangladesh border, and was headed for Kolkata with four persons in it. The search of the vehicle and of those travelling in it yielded 50 gold bars weighing roughly 6.8 kg and worth about Rs 10 crore. A few of the biscuits carried foreign markings. None of the four could show papers to prove lawful possession, and in their statements they accepted that they had been bringing foreign-origin gold into India through Bangladesh. The man identified as the head of the syndicate working in the Banpur border belt was among the four taken into custody.
The railway interception
On the same day, DRI teams in West Bengal checked passengers getting off trains at Malda Town railway station and New Jalpaiguri railway station. About 1 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at close to Rs 1.5 crore was taken from them, and two passengers were arrested for failing to produce documents of lawful purchase. The metal, held partly as bangles and partly as bars, was traced to gold smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura.
Seizures at a glance
| Place | Gold | Value |
| Dankuni Toll Plaza | 50 bars, about 6.8 kg | About Rs 10 crore |
| Malda Town and New Jalpaiguri stations | About 1 kg, bangles and bars | About Rs 1.5 crore |
The two operations together point to the continued use of the Bangladesh border belt, and of the road and rail links joining the North-East with big markets such as Kolkata, for moving smuggled gold.
Important Facts
| Agency | Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) |
|---|---|
| Ministry | Ministry of Finance |
| Gold seized | About 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold |
| Value | More than Rs 11.50 crore |
| Dates of operations | 8 and 9 October 2026 |
| Road seizure | 50 gold bars, about 6.8 kg, near Rs 10 crore, at Dankuni Toll Plaza |
| Rail seizure | About 1 kg, near Rs 1.5 crore, at Malda Town and New Jalpaiguri stations |
| Arrests | Six persons, including the syndicate kingpin of the Banpur belt |
| Source of gold | Smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border, including through Tripura |
Exam Point of View
Note the quantity (about 7.8 kg) and value (over Rs 11.50 crore), the agency (DRI, under the Ministry of Finance), the dates of the operations (8-9 October 2026), the places (Dankuni Toll Plaza, Banpur, Malda Town and New Jalpaiguri railway stations), the number arrested (six) and the Tripura link on the India-Bangladesh border.
Practice Questions
How much foreign-origin gold did the DRI seize in its October 2026 operations in the eastern region?
- A.About 2.5 kg
- B.About 7.8 kg
- C.About 15 kg
- D.About 22 kg
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is about 7.8 kg. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized that much foreign-origin gold, valued at more than Rs 11.50 crore, in intelligence-led operations run on 8 and 9 October 2026 in the eastern region, and six persons were arrested. The total is made up of two actions: 50 gold bars of roughly 6.8 kg taken from a vehicle stopped at Dankuni Toll Plaza, and close to 1 kg taken from train passengers at two stations in West Bengal. Options A, C and D are wrong because no such quantity was reported in this set of operations; they are the kind of round figures a paper setter places beside the real one to test whether a candidate has memorised the actual seizure. Keep the pair of numbers together: about 7.8 kg of gold and a value above Rs 11.50 crore.
At which toll plaza did DRI officers intercept the vehicle carrying 50 gold bars?
- A.Palsit Toll Plaza
- B.Barasat Toll Plaza
- C.Dankuni Toll Plaza
- D.Kharagpur Toll Plaza
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Dankuni Toll Plaza. A four-wheeler carrying four persons was stopped there as it travelled from Banpur, near the Bangladesh border, towards Kolkata. The search produced 50 gold bars weighing around 6.8 kg and worth nearly Rs 10 crore, some of them bearing foreign markings, and none of the occupants could produce documents showing lawful possession. The head of the smuggling syndicate active in the Banpur border area was among the four arrested. Options A, B and D name other places in West Bengal and were not the site of this interception, so they are incorrect. For the examination, remember the chain of places in this case: Banpur as the point of origin near the border, Dankuni Toll Plaza as the point of interception, and Kolkata as the intended destination of the consignment.
Gold seized by DRI from train passengers in West Bengal was traced to smuggling across the border in which State?
- A.Tripura
- B.Assam
- C.Mizoram
- D.Meghalaya
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Tripura. DRI teams intercepted passengers coming off trains at Malda Town railway station and New Jalpaiguri railway station and seized about 1 kg of foreign-origin gold worth nearly Rs 1.5 crore, held in the form of bangles and bars. The investigation showed that this gold had been made from metal smuggled across the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura, and the two passengers were arrested after they could not show proof of lawful purchase. Options B, C and D name other north-eastern States that also lie along India’s eastern frontier, but the case traced the consignment to the Tripura stretch of the border. The wider point of the operations was that road and rail corridors linking the North-East with large markets such as Kolkata are being used to move smuggled gold.
Under which ministry does the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence function?
- A.Ministry of Home Affairs
- B.Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- C.Ministry of Finance
- D.Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Show answer
Explanation
The correct answer is the Ministry of Finance. The press note on the gold seizures in the eastern region was issued by that ministry, under which the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence works as the apex agency for intelligence-led action against smuggling and commercial fraud in customs matters. Option A is wrong because the Ministry of Home Affairs looks after internal security and the central armed police forces that guard the border, not revenue intelligence. Option B is wrong because the Ministry of Commerce and Industry deals with trade policy and export promotion. Option D is wrong because the Ministry of Corporate Affairs administers company law. Candidates should link DRI with the revenue side of the Finance Ministry, and recall that in this case it seized about 7.8 kg of gold worth over Rs 11.50 crore and arrested six persons.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much gold did DRI seize in the eastern region operations?
About 7.8 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at more than Rs 11.50 crore, in intelligence-led operations on 8 and 9 October 2026, with six persons arrested.
Where was the four-wheeler carrying gold bars intercepted?
At Dankuni Toll Plaza. It was travelling from Banpur near the Bangladesh border towards Kolkata, and 50 gold bars of about 6.8 kg worth nearly Rs 10 crore were recovered.
At which railway stations was gold seized from passengers?
At Malda Town railway station and New Jalpaiguri railway station in West Bengal, where about 1 kg of gold worth nearly Rs 1.5 crore was taken from two passengers.
Under which ministry does the DRI function?
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence works under the Ministry of Finance and is the central agency for intelligence-led action against smuggling.
Sources
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2321864 (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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