Smuggling attempt from Sri Lanka foiled: Coast guard, DRI seize gold worth Rs 10.5 crore

The Indian Coast Guard, along with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Chennai, confiscated 17.74 kg gold approximately valued at Rs 10.5 crore from Mandapam Seashore while the consignment was being smuggled via Sri Lankan sea route, according to an official statement released on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Indian Coast Guard Station Mandapam deployed a joint team onboard Interceptor Boat (IB) C-432 after an intelligence input from DRI. 

"The team maintained surveillance in the Gulf of Mannar for two days for any suspicious activity. On the night of February 8, the IB boarded a suspicious boat which was trying to escape at high speed to evade interception," the statement said.

No suspected contraband was found on searching the boat and the officials presumed that it was thrown into the water during interception. "Therefore, a diving operation was conducted by the ICG team in the probable area and a consignment of 17.74 kg gold was recovered from the sea bed," the statement said.

The three crew along with the fishing boat have been handed over to Coastal Security Group (CSG), Mandapam for legal action.

Gold bars worth Rs 3.81 crore seized in Manipur's Chandel

In a related development, gold biscuits worth Rs 3.81 crore were seized by the customs and one person was arrested in Manipur's Chandel district, officials said on Wednesday.

Acting on intelligence input, Customs officials intercepted a pickup van at Thamnapokpi on Tuesday night. The officials recovered 40 gold biscuits weighing 6.64 kg and arrested the driver identified as Md Umar Farauqe.