A passenger was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Lucknow railway station for allegedly smuggling foreign-origin gold worth ₹ 1.72 crore after 1.202 kg of the precious metal was found concealed in a specially stitched pocket beneath a kneecap he was wearing, officials said on Friday.
He allegedly attempted to evade detection by changing trains at Varanasi or Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction instead of travelling directly from Howrah to Lucknow. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the alleged smuggling syndicate and establish the wider network behind the consignment. Ten people have been arrested in connection with these cases.
Acting on specific intelligence about the transportation of smuggled gold from Howrah to Lucknow via Varanasi, DRI officers intercepted the passenger on platform 5 on October 8, with assistance from the Railway Protection Force (RPF). He had just deboarded the Vande Bharat Express (22489). A search led to the recovery of six pieces of gold — three chains, half a bar and two small cut pieces — weighing a total of 1.202 kg. The DRI valued the seized gold at approximately ₹ 1.72 crore. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was arrested. Since January 2026, the agency has seized 14.47 kg of smuggled foreign-origin gold, valued at approximately ₹ 21 crore, in nine separate cases across the state.
The passenger could not produce documents to establish the lawful possession of the gold, according to the agency. The seizure adds to a series of anti-smuggling operations conducted in Uttar Pradesh this year, according to the DRI.
