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45 Smuggling in India Report 2024-25

Case 6: Gold concealed in Xbox consoles seized at Mumbai airport

In July 2024, DRI officers discovered gold sheets hidden inside the mother-
boards of 48 Xbox consoles. Each unit contained approximately 200 grams
of gold, resulting in a total recovery of 9.33 kg valued at ₹6.62 crore.

iv. Concealment in Cargo and Courier

FY 2024-25 saw several incidents of air cargo and courier-based gold smuggling,
exploiting the increasing volume of cross-border e-commerce and freight move-
ment. Smugglers concealed gold in automobile components, machinery parts,
household appliances, and even cosmetic packaging. Common concealment exam-
ples included gold embedded in an air compression machine, lighting equipment,
electronic equipment, lens centre instrument, blender and mixer. These items
were often coated, alloyed, or disguised as metal components to bypass non-intru-
sive detection. Seizures at airports like Delhi and Mumbai confirmed that this
route is increasingly preferred for high-value and high-volume smuggling.

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