With the instances of gold being smuggled by the sea route become frequent, the Customs Department has issued an advisory to the public residing in the coastal villages of Pudukottai district to share information regarding smuggling and movement of suspicious persons in their respective villages.
The advisory has been circulated in certain coastal villages in Manamelkudi taluk by officials of the Customs Department. The department has appealed to the people not to fall prey to the trap laid by gold smugglers besides explaining the consequences and the punishment that would be awarded for indulging in gold smuggling.
The department embarked on this move to caution public based on intelligence inputs that some persons pertaining to the coastal villages of Manamelkudi taluk might indulge in gold smuggling into the country with offenders from outside.
Customs officials say the advisory was circulated among the village heads, fishermen heads, and the public residing in the coastal villages of Manamelkudi taluk to create awareness among them. It was to emphasise that the people should ensure that no such offence took place in their respective village as gold smuggling could not happen without some local support.
The advisory both in Tamil and English explains the reasons for gold smuggling into India; the modus operandi and the manner in which it takes place through the Tamil Nadu coast and the air route and how smugglers lure gullible persons and use them as tools to carry out this illegal act.
Tamil Nadu is the nearest destination from the Sri Lankan coast for smugglers to smuggle gold through sea due to its proximity that could be covered in around 30 to 45 minutes in a speed boat, it pointed out. Habitual offenders travel to a convenient location on the sea between India and Sri Lanka and exchange gold with those waiting for them.
