Navy on high alert to prevent cross-border gold smuggling racket
 
 

The Navy is on high alert to prevent fishing boats being used for smuggling rackets. Alert personnel on two separate occasions have been able to seize two hauls of gold weighing over 46 kilograms with a street value of approximately 248.5 million rupees, foiling gold smuggling attempts in the guise of fishing.

In the early hours of 29th September 2014, naval troops attached to SLNS Uttara of the Northern Naval Command seized a stash of gold weighing 1.730 kilograms, making the first break-through in the gold smuggling racket. The contraband, which had a street value of 8.5 million rupees, was detected hidden inside a fiber glass dingy on the beach in Madagalthurei.

Sri Lanka Navy Ship Ranadheera attached to the Northern Naval Command on routine patrol intercepted the second fibre glass dinghy smuggling approximately 45 kilograms of gold in the seas 25 nautical miles west of Madagal on 01st October 2014. Two persons manning the boat were also taken into naval custody during the interception made around 07.30 pm.

It is suspected that the gold, found neatly packed inside a plastic can which had been concealed under the fishing nets, was being smuggled to India. This is the largest ever gold haul detected by the Navy. The arrested persons along with the contraband estimated at approximately 240 million rupees were handed over to the Customs officials after the preliminary investigations.

The preliminary investigations conducted by the Navy so far have revealed that the gold racket involves cross-border smuggling with Indians posing as fishermen. The Sri Lankan accomplices are being provided with lucrative cash payments for fuel and the “safe transport” on completion of each transaction by the “kingpins” involved. The modus operandi has been to first transport the contraband to a designated location where Indian dhows would pick up the gold for onward dispatch to India. The payments are made after confirmation of the safe delivery of the goods, via mobile phones calling a number in India.

• Gold detection by Naval Troops attached to SLNS Uttara

• Gold detection by SLNS Ranadheera