Indian Coast Guard foils smuggling bid from Sri Lanka, seizes gold worth 10 cr

In a joint operation, the Indian Coast Guard and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Chennai, seized a gold consignment of 17.74 Kg worth approximately Rs 10.5 crore from Mandapam seashore in Tamil Nadu. In contrast, the consignment was smuggled from Sri Lanka by sea route.

According to an official statement on Thursday, based on intelligence input from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Chennai, Indian Coast Guard Station Mandapam deployed a joint team onboard Interceptor Boat (IB) C-432 on February 7. “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 trying to escape at high speed to evade interception. On rummaging the boat, the suspected contraband was not found, and it was suspected that same was thrown overboard during interception,” the statement said.

The ICG team conducted a diving operation in the probable area, and a consignment of 17.74 kg of gold was recovered from the sea bed.

The fishing boat and three crew have been handed over to Coastal Security Group, Mandapam, for further legal action.