India’s Q branch police seized 6.9 kilograms of gold biscuits, being smuggled from Sri Lanka via sea route, at Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
The police arrested a smuggler and were on the lookout for three more smugglers on Monday.
The sea stretch with small islets and shorter distance to neighbouring Sri Lanka is notorious for smuggling of contrabands. The enforcement agencies like Q branch and the marine police keep a close vigil to prevent smuggling and human trafficking.
Q branch sleuths at Mandapam received a tip off about possible smuggling of gold to Mandapam seashore using country boats. Officials combed the area in the early hours of Monday. They spotted a man in a country boat who took to his heels on seeing the officials.
The man, identified as S Nasir, 35, of Kilakarai area in Ramanathapuram district, was rounded up. The boat was thoroughly searched. The police recovered 69 gold biscuits from the craft. Each gold biscuit weighed nearly 100 grams. The total worth of gold consignment was around Rs 2.5 crore, officials said.
The man, the gold biscuits and the country boat were handed over to customs department for further investigation.
Q branch sources said three more people were involved in smuggling. The four-member-gang collected the gold biscuits from Sri Lanka and were smuggling them to the country when they were intercepted.
Source: Times of India
-Agencies
