Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found foreign currencies, university certificates and bank documents from the seized bags of Sandeep Nair, a top accused in the gold smuggling case.
Along with the currencies of three foreign countries, including US Dollars, Indian currency notes of Rs 10 denomination were also found. These were found in two small bags that were inside Sandeep’s trolley bag.
The laptop, also found in the bag, would be sent for cyber-forensic examination. The computer hard disk, seized from accused Swapna Suresh's office in Thiruvananthapuram, will also be examined.
The probe team will carry out checks at the cooperative banks linked to the fixed deposit documents of Sandeep.
Sandeep had used codes to record the names of those linked to smuggling on his diary.
It is also suspected that the small bags, purse and gold ornaments found in Sandeep's bag belonged to Swapna. Sandeep did not have the key for the bag when the probe officers sought for it at the time of the arrest. Instead Swapna had given the key.
Both Sandeep and Swapna had been on the run after their name cropped up in the case pertaining to the seizure of 30kg gold from a diplomatic baggage in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this month. The duo were arrested from Bengaluru by the NIA on Saturday.
Swapna botches escape bid from India
The probe team suspect that Sandeep had left Thiruvananthapuram with plans to flee the country. However, his plans suffered a setback after Swapna Suresh decided to bring her family along.
Sandeep and Swapna got into an altercation over this when they reached Bengaluru.
Both were arrested from a serviced apartment in Bengaluru late on July 11 after they had vanished from Thiruvanathapuram soon after 30 kg gold sent in a UAE diplomatic bag was seized by the Indian Customs on July 5.
The NIA brought them to Kochi on July 12.
