Navy retrieves more than 4kg of gold from Puttalam Lagoon
December 9, 2023 04:59 pm
Sri Lanka Navy has recovered a parcel weighing over 4kg of gold from the depths of Puttalam Lagoon, in a special search operation conducted near the Baththalangunduwa Island on Friday (Dec.08).
It is suspected that the smugglers had intentionally sunk the cache of gold underwater to evade detection, the Navy said in a statement.
The operation, mounted by the SLNS Vijaya in the North-western Naval Command, also led to the apprehension of two suspects and one dinghy, believed to be complicit in the racket.
The suspects apprehended in this operation were identified as residents of Kalpitiya, aged 27 and 35.
Along with the impounded cache of gold and dinghy, they have been handed over to the Customs Preventive Office, Katunayake for onward legal proceedings.
