Sangli Man Arrested in Guwahati With Record 37kg Smuggled Gold Worth Rs 54 Crore

On Monday night, June 29, 2026, the Guwahati Police arrested 32-year-old Akshay Bansode, a resident of Sangli in Maharashtra, in the Gandhibasti area of Guwahati, Assam, following the seizure of 37.064 kilograms of suspected smuggled gold valued at ₹54 crore. The operation, which officials described as the biggest-ever gold seizure in Assam, has exposed an international smuggling network.

The police team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shambhavi Mishra, intercepted Bansode based on intelligence inputs. In addition to the gold bars, authorities recovered 13 grams of silver nodules, four mobile phones, and ₹3,755 in cash from him. Bansode, a man with disabilities who had been residing in Gandhibasti for two months, was unable to provide any legal documentation for the gold consignment.

According to the police, Bansode was employed as a delivery agent for the smuggling syndicate, receiving a monthly salary of ₹80,000. While he appeared like an ordinary person during the interception, further investigation revealed that this was his fourth smuggling attempt. He had successfully transported approximately 20 kilograms of gold on three previous occasions.

The ongoing investigation has uncovered extensive international links to Myanmar and West Asia, as well as domestic connections to major Indian metropolitan cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.

Police officials noted that a significant portion of the smuggled gold entering Assam and the northeastern region originates in Myanmar. The contraband is primarily smuggled into India through Moreh in Manipur and Zokhawthar in Mizoram, before being routed to West Asia through various Indian metro cities.

DCP Mishra stated that the police are continuing their probe to map out the entire syndicate, trace past deliveries, and uncover the financial trails associated with the operation.