Three more held in gold smuggling case

Three more persons were arrested in connection with the 17.74 kg of gold smuggling case here on Saturday.

Three days ago, following specific intelligence, sleuths from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) were on surveillance in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard authorities along the Palk Bay.

On Wednesday (February 8), they spotted a speed boat near Mandapam sea. The people in the boat were seen dropping a huge object in the sea in a hurried manner. When the sleuths on surveillance conducted inquiries, the three suspects on the boat pleaded ignorance.

After engaging scuba divers from Thoothukudi on the following day, the officials succeeded in unravelling the parcel, which contained 17.74 kg of foreign origin gold in bars, chains and sticks bundled in a towel. The value of the seized gold was put at ₹10.50 crore.

Preliminary interrogations revealed that the three persons in the boat had received the gold at some point in the mid-sea and were headed to Mandapam. They were identified as Nagoor Kani (30) of Mandapam, Shahubar Sadiq (22) and Mohamed Sameer (29) of Maraikayarpattinam. The boat was handed over to the Mandapam Police and the three accused were produced before a court, which directed them to be lodged in Madurai Central Prison.

Based on a probe by the DRI sleuths, three more suspects identified as M. Jagangir Abbas (29) of West Street, Mandapam, Z Sadiq Ali (35) and A Azaruddin (27) of Vedalai were arrested on Saturday and also lodged in Madurai Central Prison.