Chennai, Dec 11 (UNI) A joint anti-smuggling operation by the

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and officials from the Directorate of

Revenue Intelligence (DRI) resulted in seizure of about nine kg

of gold in Gulf of Mannar, off Tamil Nadu coast, near Mandapam

on Friday.

The gold bars worth Rs 4.5 crores were recovered from a fishing

boat named ‘Sailor’.

The two-day joint operation, which commenced around midnight

last night, took place after DRI sources received a tip off that gold

was being smuggled into India through sea route from Sri Lanka.

A defence release here said based on intelligence provided by

the DRI officials, a well-coordinated operation was launched

by Coast Guard Station Mandapam resulting in the arrest of

five fishermen along with the fishing boat.

During the rummaging, it was found that the seized gold bars

were hidden under the engine bay camouflaged in a cloth bag.

Investigations revealed that the boat allegedly received the

contraband in Gulf of Mannar and was proceeding to Marakkayar

Pattinam close to Mandapam when it was intercepted by the

Coast Guard ship, leading to the seizures.

The seized items alongwith the fishermen and boat were handed

over to the DRI for further investigations.

Earlier in March, in a similar operation Indian Coast Guard

had recovered 15 kg of gold dumped from fishing boat at sea

near Rameswaram Coast.

UNI GV 1614