Smuggled gold bars from Lanka seized

Gold bars valued at Rs 2.21 crore, smuggled into India from Sri Lanka, were today seized from a car by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials at a toll gate on a national highway in Tamil Nadu. 

A total of 8.325 kg of gold was seized from the van. It included 62 bars with foreign markings, each weighing 100 grams, two bars weighing one kg each with similar markings and one cut piece gold bar, a DRI release said here tonight. 

The DRI acted on specific intelligence that gold bars were being smuggled to India from the island nation by boats through coastal villages near Nagapattinam. They were then moved to Thanjavur and later transported to Chennai by car. 

DRI officers were deployed in and around coastal villages and at important road junctions and highways connecting Chennai to Thanjavur.  The van was intercepted at Valvathankottai toll gate on Tiruchirapalli-Thanjavur National Highway early this morning. 

The two occupants on being questioned admitted that they were transporting the gold received from Nagapattinam coast and bought from Sri Lanka into India through boat.  The duo were arrested for violations under the provision of Customs Act, 1962, the release said. (PTI)