Chennai, Aug 1 (PTI) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Tuesday said it has seized 20.5 kg of smuggled gold in different instances in Tamil Nadu.

The seizure included 9 kg of the precious metal in Ramanathapuram district.

Also Read | Wrestlers Sexual Harassment Case: Delhi Court To Decide on September 6 on Accepting Police's Cancellation Report in POCSO Case Against Ex-WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The value of the seized gold was stated to be worth Rs 12.5 crore, according to a DRI release.

"Acting on the basis of specific intelligence that foreign origin gold is being smuggled from Sri Lanka through Thangachimadam (in Ramanathapuram) in a fishing boat and the smuggled gold will be transported for further delivery, the officers of DRI had kept strict vigil and intercepted four persons near the northern coast of Thangachimadam. On examination, foreign origin smuggled gold weighing around 9.063 kg valued at around Rs 5.37 crore was recovered from their possession," it said.

Also Read | Nuh Violence: Cow Vigilante Group Leader Mohit Yadav Alias Monu Manesar in wanted list of Rajasthan police in Murder Case of Nasir and Junaid.

The gold and two boats allegedly involved in the crime on Monday have been seized, while 4 people have been apprehended for further investigation.

Further, on Monday, another team of DRI officers rummaged an aircraft that arrived from Sharjah at Coimbatore International Airport and intercepted a few passengers who travelled in it.

Rummaging of the flight and examination of passengers resulted in recovery of 5.17 kg of gold valued at Rs 3.17 crore. Two passengers were arrested in this regard and remanded to judicial custody, the release said.

In the third instance, DRI officers intercepted 6 people outside the Chennai International Airport carrying 6.275 kg of gold paste worth nearly Rs 3.8 crore.

Six persons have been apprehended so far in this connection and investigation was underway.

DRI, Chennai has so far seized around 163 kg of gold worth Rs 97 crore in 29 cases, and 43 people have been arrested since January in different parts of Tamil Nadu, the release added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)