Home » National » DRI and India Coast Guards seize over 32 kg gold worth Rs 20.21 crore

DRI and India Coast Guards seize over 32 kg gold worth Rs 20.21 crore

Tamilnadu:1/6/23:In a joint operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), with the help of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Mandapam & Ramnad Customs, Preventive Division, intercepted two fishing boats and seized 32.869 kg of foreign origin gold valued at Rs. 20.21 crore that was smuggled into India from Sri Lanka through the coast.

Specific intelligence was developed by DRI, Chennai, that foreign origin gold is being smuggled from Sri Lanka through Vedhalai coast in Ramnad (TN) by different gangs using fishing boats. Accordingly, the DRI officers mounted extensive coastal surveillance with the help of ICG and identified the suspected fishing boats.

One of the suspected fishing boats was intercepted by a team of DRI officers and Coast Guard officers in the morning of 30th May 2023 after a chase in the sea.  During the course of interception, the persons in the fishing boat dropped the contraband parcel into the sea.  The contraband parcel containing 11.6 kg of foreign origin gold valued at Rs. 7.13 crore was retrieved from the seabed with the help of Coast Guard expert divers and the same was seized along with the boat used for smuggling the gold.

In the night of 30th May 2023, a second suspected fishing boat was identified. Thereafter, the DRI Officers onboarded an Indian customs patrol boat and approached towards the suspected fishing boat and saw from a distance that inmates of the boat were handing over a parcel to two receivers waiting on the shore. On spotting the Indian Customs boat fast approaching them from the sea side, both the receivers tried to escape into dark by running away with the smuggled gold. The officers chased the receivers in the dark and nabbed them.

On examination of the persons, eight packets were found inside a jacket carried by them. Detailed examination led to the recovery of 21.269 kg of foreign origin gold valued at Rs. 13.08 crore from the persons and the same was seized along with the boat and a two wheeler used for smuggling the gold.Further investigation is under progress.

 

About Editor in chief

Ashok Palit has completed his graduation from Upendranath College Soro, Balasore and post graduation from Utkal University in Odia Language and literture.. He has also carved out a niche for himself as a scribe of eminence after joining the profession in 1988. He is also an independent media production professional. He brings loads of experience to Advanced Media, Ashok Palit as a cineaste has been active in film criticism for over three decades. As a film society activist, he soared to eminence for his profound commitment to the art film appreciation and aesthetics of cinema. His mode of discourse is often erudite but always lucid and comprehensible marked by a perfect acumen so rare in the field. A film aesthete with an immense fond of critical sensibilities, he wrote about growth and development of odia cinema in New Indian Express, The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Asian Age and Screen. He has been working as an Editor for Cine Samaya from 2002-2004.. He had made solid contribution on cinema in many odia Dailies and weekly such as Samaj, Prajatantra, Dharatri, Samaya, Satabadi, and weekly Samaya.
x

Check Also

Eminent Odia theatre writer and director Satchi Das Das passed away

Jajpur: 18/4/24:Eminent Odia theatre writer, director, and cine actor Sachi Das passed away today following a prolonged illness. He was 91. According to sources, Dr Sachi Das breathed his last ...