DRI seizes smuggled gold worth Rs 12 cr

On examination, foreign origin smuggled gold weighing around 9.063 kg valued at around Rs 5.37 crore was recovered from their possession, it said.The gold and two boats allegedly involved in the crime on Monday have been seized, while 4 people have been apprehended for further investigation.Further, on Monday, another team of DRI officers rummaged an aircraft that arrived from Sharjah at Coimbatore International Airport and intercepted a few passengers who travelled in it.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday said it has seized 20.5 kg of smuggled gold in different instances in Tamil Nadu. The seizure included 9 kg of the precious metal in Ramanathapuram district.

The value of the seized gold was stated to be worth Rs 12.5 crore, according to a DRI release.

''Acting on the basis of specific intelligence that foreign origin gold is being smuggled from Sri Lanka through Thangachimadam (in Ramanathapuram) in a fishing boat and the smuggled gold will be transported for further delivery, the officers of DRI had kept strict vigil and intercepted four persons near the northern coast of Thangachimadam. On examination, foreign origin smuggled gold weighing around 9.063 kg valued at around Rs 5.37 crore was recovered from their possession,'' it said.

The gold and two boats allegedly involved in the crime on Monday have been seized, while 4 people have been apprehended for further investigation.

Further, on Monday, another team of DRI officers rummaged an aircraft that arrived from Sharjah at Coimbatore International Airport and intercepted a few passengers who travelled in it. Rummaging of the flight and examination of passengers resulted in recovery of 5.17 kg of gold valued at Rs 3.17 crore. Two passengers were arrested in this regard and remanded to judicial custody, the release said.

In the third instance, DRI officers intercepted 6 people outside the Chennai International Airport carrying 6.275 kg of gold paste worth nearly Rs 3.8 crore. Six persons have been apprehended so far in this connection and investigation was underway.

DRI, Chennai has so far seized around 163 kg of gold worth Rs 97 crore in 29 cases, and 43 people have been arrested since January in different parts of Tamil Nadu, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)