In a thrilling underwater mission, the Indian Coast Guard collaborated with officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs to recover a massive quantity of gold that had been illicitly smuggled and dumped in the ocean.
Weighing an impressive 32.689 kg, the value of the gold seized was approximately $2.42 million, or INR 200 million.
According to Inspector General Manish Pathak, who is the Deputy Director General (Operations) of the Indian Coast Guard, a joint team was able to spot a suspicious boat heading towards Mandapam fishing harbor in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
The officer chased the boat, but before getting apprehended at the Gulf of Mannar, the suspects reportedly threw the consignment into the water.
The officials seized the boat and took the three suspects into custody for allegedly being involved in illicit gold smuggling.
The video of the underwater operation is doing the rounds on the internet, revealing how Indian coast guards successfully held the operation.
Meanwhile, the investigation team kept close surveillance on fishing vessels operating in the Gulf of Mannar, especially near the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).