Imphal, Aug 18 (IANS): Gold bars worth nearly Rs 7 crore have been seized and an international gold smuggler arrested from the Tengnoupal district in Manipur bordering Myanmar, officials said on Friday.

Troopers of 12 Assam Rifles deployed at Khudengthabi in Tengnoupal district bordering Myanmar, made the recovery on Thursday night and the smuggler, Kamal Hassan, was handed over to the Customs Preventive Force on Friday morning.

W.S.K. Luwang, Superintendent of the Customs Preventive Force, said: "On receipt of intelligence inputs about the smuggling of gold bars worth over Rs 6,79,00,000 in the international market, a truck was intercepted and checked. The force has taken up all necessary steps to prosecute the accused."

Luwang, who said that 34-year-old Hassan was not working alone, admitted that international gold smuggling was on the rise and that there had been seizures in the recent past including illegal arms, drugs, gold bars and biscuits.

Manipur, which borders Myanmar, has become a conduit for smuggling of contraband goods. Contraband goods are smuggled from Moreh towards Imphal and taken to other parts of the northeastern region.