Thiruvananthapuram: The C-DAC has submitted a report to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) after examining the phones in the possession of the accused in the case filed over smuggling gold through the airport here. DRI had earlier seized three phones from the house of Prakasan Thampi, who was arrested in the case. Thampi told officials that one among the mobiles belonged to the deceased musician Balabhaskar.
DRI had sent the phones, along with those used by Serina Shaji and Sunil Kumar, who were the first persons arrested in the gold smuggling case, for detailed checks. Head of the forensic department at C-DAC Ananthalakshmi told ‘Manorama Online’ that the examination report had been submitted to the DRI.
DRI is of the view that many more people, including some Customs officers, were involved in the gold smuggling case. The phones were sent for detailed analysis to unravel more information regarding the smuggling racket. Of particular interest to DRI is which all Customs officials had been in touch with the smugglers. DRI has already arrested Customs superintendent Radhakrishnan connection with the case. Three other Customs officials were questioned, but the DRI could make no headway.
The gold smuggling case came to the limelight after Sunil Kumar (45), a KSRTC conductor belonging to Thirumala in the capital city and his friend Serina Shaji (42), a native of Vettu Road in Kazhakkoottam, was arrested with 25 kg gold at Thiruvananthapuram airport on May 13.
A few weeks earlier, Aneesh, a contract employee at the airport, had been arrested with 10 kg gold. Aneesh had received the gold at the aerobridge of the airport from one Sudheer Muhammed Haneefa (48), who lived at Pallitheruvu, Puthenpally in Poonthura. Haneefa is yet to be traced even after a lookout notice was issued, said Customs officials. DRI is carrying out an investigation into this case also and some contract staff at the airport are under the scanner.
