Chennai DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), in three different operations seized of around 20.5 kgs of Gold, totally valued around Rs12.5Crore.

Acting on the basis of specific intelligence that foreign origin gold is being smuggled from Srilanka through Thangachimadam, northern coast of Ramnad, 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 of them, foreign origin smuggled gold weighing around 9.063 KGs valued at around ₹ 5.37 crores was recovered from their possession. The same has been seized along with two boats used for smuggling the gold from Srilanka on 31.07.2023. 4 persons have been apprehended for further investigation.

On the same day i.e. 31.07.2023, acting upon specific intelligence, another team of DRI officers rummaged an aircraft arrived from Sharjah at Coimbatore International Airport and intercepted few passengers who travelled in the said flight. Rummaging of flight and examination of passengers resulted in recovery 5.17 Kgs of Foreign Origin Gold valued Rs3.17 Crs. Two passengers were arrested in this regard and remanded to Judicial custody.

In the third operation, team of DRI officers intercepted 06 persons outside the Chennai International Airport carrying 6.275KGs of Gold paste worth nearly Rs. 3.8 crores smuggled through the airport. In this regard, 6 persons have been apprehended so far and investigation is in progress.

In its sustained effort to combat gold smuggling, DRI Chennai has so far seized around 163KGs of gold worth Rs97Crores in 29 cases and 43 persons were arrested since January 2023 onwards in different parts of Tamilnadu.

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(Release ID: 1944755)