RAMANATHAPURAM: Following the arrest of four people for allegedly attempting to smuggle nine kg of gold in the Thangachimadam area in Ramanathapuram on Monday, the Chennai Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) released an official statement in connection with the incident.
Stating that the foreign gold seized from the country boats by the DRI sleuths is worth Rs 5 crore, the official release said the suspects attempted to smuggle gold from Sri Lanka through Thangachimadam in the northern coast of Ramanathapuram, in a fishing boat.
"Based on a tip-off regarding the smuggling activities, the DRI sleuths kept strict vigil in the sea areas and intercepted four people near the northern coast of Thangachimadam. Upon inquiry, the foreign-origin gold, weighing around 9.063 kg and valued at around Rs 5.37 crore, was recovered from their possession. They also seized their two boats used for smuggling the gold from Srilanka on Monday. The suspects have been apprehended for further investigation," the release said.
In its sustained effort to combat gold smuggling, DRI Chennai has so far seized around 163 kg of gold worth Rs 97 crore in 29 cases, and 43 persons have been arrested since January 2023 onwards in different parts of Tamil Nadu.