Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS): Customs officials on Thursday seized garments worth Rs 3 crore after intercepting a trawler which attempted to smuggle out goods to Bangladesh through the Sunderban riverine route.

An official said the department's preventive and intelligence branch acted upon a report that fishing trawlers were being used to smuggle various goods to Bangladesh.

"The route being taken by the smugglers was narrowed down to a specific area near Patharpratima zone in the Sunderbans," said the official.

Acting on a tip-off, the department's marine vessels with officers were deployed at Namkhana. They spotted the trawler early on Thursday.

After being chased by customs' officials for about 12 km, the trawler moved towards the right bank of Ramganga river and its crew jumped off it and ran away into the forest.

"On a preliminary examination of the seized trawler, about 300 gunny bags containing garments worth Rs 3 crore were recovered," official said.

He said efforts were on to trace the owner and crew of the trawler.