The Coastal Security Group (CSG) has seized gold biscuits, weighing more than 35 kg, smuggled from Sri Lanka by sea, and arrested two persons, who brought the contraband, even as an agent, who acted as the main link, escaped.
Acting on the instructions of C.Sylendra Babu, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) after a tip-off that some ‘property’ would be transacted on February 20 or 21, three special teams of the CSG here kept vigil and seized the gold biscuits, worth about Rs. 10 crore from the Mandapam Railway station on Saturday.
Mandapam CSG Inspector of Police M.Kumaravel said two special teams followed a car from Rameswaram in a police jeep and in a two-wheeler and traced the contraband to the Pamban Railway station after the Madurai-based ‘agent’ identified as Mohideen abandoned two bags containing the gold biscuits and escaped on seeing the police party.
The CSG, however, arrested two fishermen — Tamilarasan of Rameswaram and his brother Kalidoss of Vedalai, near Mandapam, who received the gold biscuits from a Sri Lanka-based agent Sathik on the high seas near “Araam Thittu” off Danushkodi in the early hours of Saturday. The biscuits were concealed in four specially made cloth bags.
Interrogation revealed that after receiving a message from Sathik, Kalidoss took a Vallam (country boat) from Vedalai on Friday evening and reached ‘Araam Thittu’ with his brother in the night. Around 2 am, Sathik, who came from Lanka in a Fibre Glass boat, handed over the contraband and returned, he said.
The brothers reached Rameswaram early on Saturday and after Tamilarsan took the ‘property’ home, Kalidoss went to Vedalai. The Madurai-based agent who was waiting at Rameswaram, received the gold biscuits and hired a car to Madurai, accompanied by Tamilarasan, Mr. Kumaravel said.
They were proceeding towards Thangachimadam, even as a special CSG team was following the car. When Kalidoss called his brother over phone and asked them to wait for him, the agent grew suspicious and got down from the car and boarded a bus, giving a slip to the police. On learning that he had boarded a town bus, the team went towards Mandapam Railway station, where he abandoned the bags and escaped, he said. The contraband would be handed over to the Customs officials on Sunday.
