DRI seizes 27.6 kg foreign-origin gold worth Rs 8.13 cr in TN

On a single day, 27.6 kg of foreign-origin gold, worth Rs 8.13 crore, was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from three places in Tamil Nadu, it said today.
Eight persons were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the smuggling of the yellow metal from Sri Lanka, said a DRI release.
In the first incident, DRI personnel intercepted a car, which was headed towards Coimbatore from Ramanathapuram, yesterday on a specific input that smuggled foreign-origin gold was kept hidden in the vehicle.
Ten kg of gold was found from the car, the release said, adding that four occupants of the vehicle were arrested.

The gold was smuggled from Sri Lanka, it said.
A search of the premises of the arrested persons led to the recovery of another four kg of gold, the release said.

In the second incident, a DRI team intercepted an SUV near Tuticorin and a search of the vehicle revealed 10 kg of foreign-origin gold concealed under the seats.
Three occupants of the vehicle confessed to their crime and were arrested, the release said.
In the third incident, a DRI squad intercepted a two- wheeler rider at Ramanathapuram and seized 3.6 kg of foreign- origin gold from his possession.
The total weight of the gold seized in the three incidents was about 27.6 kg and its estimated value was around Rs 8.13 crore, the release added.

"Eight persons have been arrested (in connection with the seizures) and remanded to judicial custody," it said.
Though Chennai had emerged as a preferred market for selling smuggled gold, Coimbatore too was being targeted by smugglers "on account of the affluent population and a profusion of jewellery shops", said an official.
Since January, the DRI Chennai zone had seized over 114 kg of gold, worth Rs 33.7 crore, and arrested 41 people, the release added.