NIA finds over Rs 1 crore, 1 kg of gold in Swapna’s lockers

NIA finds over Rs 1 crore, 1 kg of gold in Swapna’s lockers
Swapna Suresh in NIA custody. File photo: Manorama

Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found over Rs 1 crore and more than 1 kg of gold in the bank lockers maintained by Swapna Suresh, one of the main accused in the Trivandrum International Airport gold smuggling case.

The details of the contents of the lockers are mentioned in the remand report filed by the NIA in the special court hearing the gold smuggling case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

According to the NIA, it found Rs 1.05 crore in Swapna’s lockers. It told the NIA Special Court that Swapna got the amount through gold smuggling.

Swapna had Rs 36.5 lack in a locker with the Federal Bank’s branch at Statue in Thiruvananthapuram and Rs 64 lakh in a locker with SBI’s City branch, the NIA said. It also found 982.5 grammes of gold in the lockers.

The gold was deposited in the form of an ornament. During interrogation, Swapna told the investigation team that she had got the ornament as a gift. This is what her lawyer also told the court when it was considering her bail application.

The NIA team told the court that more investigation is needed in the case in the coming days. It said that it has sound evidence against Swapna and Sandeep Nair, the fourth accused in the smuggling case, and that they should not be granted bail.

The NIA court then remanded Swapna and Sandeep in judicial custody till August 21.

The Customs Department and the Enforcement Directorate (EC) are also continuing their investigations into the case. Customs officials questioned the arrested accused at the NIA’s office on Friday.

Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate who later worked as a consultant in the Space Park project of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), which is under the IT Department, was dismissed after her involvement in the gold smuggling case came to light.

A multi-agency probe was initiated after the Customs seized 30kg gold from a diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5. The Home Ministry had directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the case. The arrested include P S Sarith Kumar, the former PRO at the UAE consulate, Swapna and their associate Sandeep Nair as well as a few history-sheeters in gold smuggling.

When caught Swapna and Sarith were no longer employees of the Consulate, but had exploited their knowledge of consular activities to smuggle gold from the UAE. They were however a part of a larger racket that plotted and executed the smuggling operations through the diplomatic route.

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