Smuggling Saga: 33Kg Gold Dumped at Sea in Real-Life Drama

Ramanathapuram (TN): In a thrilling reminiscent of the superhit film K.G.F: Chapter 2, a real-life story unfolded, involving a high-stakes gold smuggling operation. Pursued by Indian enforcement personnel, three criminals attempted to smuggle 33kg of gold, resorting to a daring act of discarding a portion of the precious metal into the sea. However, this was only the beginning of the action-packed saga.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) swiftly responded to intelligence reports regarding gold smuggling from Sri Lanka into India. Prompted by these inputs, a collaborative effort was initiated by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the Customs Department, and the DRI on May 30. Their primary focus was monitoring fishing vessels operating near the Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Gulf of Mannar.

Due to the diligent surveillance efforts, authorities successfully identified a suspicious boat approaching the Mandapam fishing harbour on May 30. When challenged by Indian law enforcement, the boat attempted to evade capture, sparking a thrilling chase. As the pursuit ensued, the smugglers jettisoned the gold they were trafficking into the sea, hoping to evade authorities.

Despite their attempts to elude capture, the smugglers found themselves ensnared by the relentless pursuit. Indian law enforcement successfully apprehended the boat and its three occupants in the northern region of the Gulf of Mannar. Following the arrest, officials were able to recover 21 kg of gold from the vessel, while the remaining stash had been discarded into the sea.

Undeterred by the obstacles presented by the depths of the ocean, the Indian Coast Guard launched a diving operation to retrieve the gold dumped at sea. Through their unwavering efforts, approximately 12 kg of illegal gold was successfully recovered on June 1, further bolstering the authorities’ case against the smugglers.

In a separate operation conducted by the DRI, a different boat was apprehended in Mandapam, Tamil Nadu. During this operation, the enforcement team managed to seize approximately 22 kg of smuggled gold, uncovering yet another facet of the ongoing illegal trade.