New Delhi/Dubai: Dubai-based Keralite businessman Faisal Fareed is likely to be extradited to India over his links to the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case. He is the third accused in the case being probed by several agencies in India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier issued an arrest warrant against him over suspicion that it was he who had sent 30 kg gold through a diplomatic bag of the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE is set to take immediate steps for extradition. Though India and UAE had signed the extradition treaty in 1999 to hand over convicts, there could be a delay. The UAE usually expedites the procedures when India makes a request for extradition.
The Dubai Police has reportedly questioned Faisal. Travel restrictions have also been imposed on him in the Emirates.
Faisal's passport has been revoked, according to sources in Ministry of External Affairs of India. The Union Home Ministry, Immigration Bureau, and the UAE government have also been informed about this.
A multi-agency probe was initiated after the Customs seized 30kg gold from a diplomatic baggage in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this month. Three of the accused P S Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair have been arrested, while accused Faisal is still at large.
Faisal’s name cropped up in the case in connection with the Sharjah-based Al-Sattar Spices that was mentioned in the remand report of the first-accused, Sarith. Fareed, however, said that he had no links with this company.
As reported earlier, the consignor address and phone number mentioned on the gold consignment caught at the Trivandrum International Airport are those of his Dubai residence. The consignment mentioned the sender’s address as villa no 5 in Al Rashidiya, a Dubai locality.
Faisal lives with his family in Al Rashidiya.
Meanwhile, Charge d' Affairs of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram Rashid Khamis Al Shameli has returned to Dubai.
The top diplomat went to Delhi from Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday before leaving for Dubai. He reportedly departed based on the instructions of the UAE Embassy in Delhi.
The baggage seized by the Customs was addressed to Shameli. However, the given contact number was of former Consulate PRO P S Sarith, the first accused in the smuggling case. Even on the day the gold was seized, Shameli had reportedly contacted Swapna Suresh over the phone.
During the interrogation by both the NIA and Customs, accused Sandeep Nair had alleged that Shameli was involved in gold smuggling.
However, Shameli said that he had asked for despatch of food items and was not aware of the gold smuggling.
Concealing gold in diplomatic baggage is a serious offence that can invite legal action on three counts. Endangering national security and creating fissures in diplomatic ties are offences that come under the jurisdiction of the Federal Supreme Court of the United Arab Emirates located in Abu Dhabi.
Moreover, as per the Customs rules of the Emirates, giving false information is punishable with an imprisonment of up to five years.
