Moradabad: At the bustling gates of Dubai International Airport, a smuggler walks nervously toward the metal detectors. His stomach churns — not from fear, but from the six capsules of pure gold packed inside him. Just before he reaches the security line, an airport staffer scratches his ear, then slightly raises his hand. That is the signal. The smuggler is quietly waved through, without any scan, without questions. What seems like a minor gesture opens the door to a sprawling international gold smuggling racket — one that has now been blown open by the Moradabad police.
On May 23, the arrest of four men in Moradabad has uncovered a criminal syndicate so vast and organized that it has sent shockwaves through law enforcement circles across India and beyond. Investigators believe nearly 150 men — mostly poor and unemployed youth from Tanda town in Rampur district — have been used as human mules, their bodies turned into smuggling vessels to transport gold from Dubai into India, right under the noses of international security agencies.
“They are poor and are lured with dreams of luxury, foreign travel, and quick money,” said Superintendent of Police (City) Ranvijay Singh, who is heading the probe. “But the truth is, these men are being exploited. They are risking their lives to make a handful of rich people richer.”
Capsule Ingestion and Medical Risks
The system is meticulously planned. Smugglers are given fresh passports, flown to Dubai on pre-paid tickets, and checked into lavish hotels — often the kind of places they could only dream of back home. Once in Dubai, they are fed and housed, then trained to swallow oblong capsules of gold — each weighing between 30 and 35 grams. Some smugglers carry up to eight such capsules inside their stomachs. The human body becomes a courier service, flying back to India undetected.
“The capsules are coated with special materials so they don’t show up on scans,” Singh explained. “At the airport, they bypass metal detectors because they are not scanned as individuals. Their baggage might be checked, but not their bodies. That is where the inside man at the Dubai airport comes in. Without that signal, they could be caught.”
Each trip nets about a quarter kilogram of smuggled gold — a significant quantity given the demand in India’s black market. Once the smugglers land, they are taken to secret safe houses across western Uttar Pradesh, including locations in Moradabad and Rampur. These places have specially constructed toilets with fine steel mesh to retrieve the capsules after they pass through the body. The gold is cleaned, sometimes melted down, and then handed over to financiers or jewellers.
Dr. Shahbaz Alam, a gastroenterologist from Moradabad, warned of the extreme medical risks involved in such smuggling. “This is not just dangerous — it is potentially fatal,” Dr. Alam said. “If even one capsule leaks or ruptures inside the stomach, it can cause internal bleeding, organ damage, or poisoning. The acid in the stomach is powerful. These young men are literally gambling with their lives.”
He added that in certain cases, the capsules get lodged and do not pass naturally. “We have heard reports of doctors being bribed to conduct illegal surgeries to extract them. This is medical malpractice of the worst kind.”
In February 2025, Mohammad Alam, a resident of Tandola locality in Rampur, complained of severe abdominal pain. He was taken in for emergency surgery, but tragically died during the operation. A subsequent medical examination confirmed the shocking cause—several gold capsules were found lodged inside his stomach.
Inside the Syndicate:
The smuggling network is backed by an ecosystem of financiers — jewellers, travel agents, corrupt officials, and even doctors — all profiting from this human risk.
One of the arrested smugglers, Zulfikar, has reportedly made over 40 trips to Dubai over the past seven years. He told police that everything was paid for — airfare, hotel stay, meals — and that he would receive Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per trip, often in cash. “They treat us well,” he said during questioning. “We feel like VIPs. But they do not care what happens to us after we deliver.”
Zulfikar’s statement is telling. The syndicate does not just use these men — it grooms them, turns them into loyal couriers, and discards them when they are no longer useful. For many of the young men from Tanda, where jobs are scarce and poverty runs deep, this smuggling route is seen as a ticket out.
“What choice do we have?” said a local youth from Tanda, speaking anonymously. “There are no jobs, no factories, no hope. They tell us we will go to Dubai, stay in AC rooms, and come back with gold and money. Who would not say yes?”
Senior Superintendent of Police Satpal Antil, who is overseeing the investigation, said that what has been uncovered so far is just the tip of the iceberg.
“We have identified at least eight major financiers in Moradabad and Rampur. One of them, Zahid, a property dealer and former civic poll candidate, was funding entire trips. He was also the contact point for jewelers who wanted Dubai gold — known for its purity — to be brought in through this route.”
The police believe that the Dubai syndicate — possibly with links to organized crime in South Asia — was targeting vulnerable youth in India, preying on poverty and desperation. The network is believed to extend into Nepal as well, with some couriers flying in from Kathmandu to avoid scrutiny at major Indian airports.
“This is not smuggling,” said SP Singh. “It is human exploitation. And we are going to bring down every last person involved in this.”
As the investigation deepens, more arrests are expected in the coming days, with police tracing money trails, passport forgeries, and airport insiders. But for now, that silent signal at Dubai airport — a slight nod, a subtle scratch — remains the haunting symbol of an international racket that thrives on human desperation.
“It is not just gold smuggling,” said SP Ranvijay Singh, his voice sharp with urgency. “It is the ruthless exploitation of poverty. These young men are treated like disposable containers. The syndicate is ready to risk their lives — and even their deaths — for a few kilos of profit. We will dismantle every last link in this chain.”
