Gold smuggling accused had links to African mining gangs: NIA

Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram: The main accused in the Thiruvananthapuram Airport gold smuggling case had links with mining gangs in Africa, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found.

The agency (NIA) looking into the smuggling case obtained details about the African connection while interrogating KT Ramees, the fifth accused, about his visit to Tanzania last year.

In 2019, 25 robberies were reported at gold mines in South Africa. The mines were looted by youths armed with weapons, including AK-47s. The South African police have sought the help of Interpol to track down youths of Asian descent involved in the attack.

South Africa has the largest number of gold mines in the world.

The NIA suspects that a fugitive it has been looking for was captured by surveillance cameras at Witwaters gold field, where the last gold mine attack of 2019 was reported in South Africa.

The agency had informed this to the CBI, the Interpol's nodal agency in India. The Interpol has issued a Red Corner search notice against the fugitive.

The gold produced in Africa reaches India and other Asian markets as ornaments through Dubai. The gold smuggling racket in Kerala also functions with Dubai as its hub.

The investigation team has obtained information that accused in criminal cases who leave Kerala are provided security abroad and used for gold smuggling.

The NIA is seriously looking into the Tanzania visit of Ramees, who is also accused in an arms smuggling case.

32 boxes sent to C-APT, only one examined

There were 210 diplomatic baggage in all that were received on the day the UAE Consulate sent 32 parcel boxes to C-APT (Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing & Training).

All of them came in a single air cargo bill.

Now, the Customs is looking at what the other boxes contained in view of the controversy over the links between the UAE Consulate and C-APT that came to light during the investigations into the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case.

In all, 32 boxes were taken to C-APT from the consulate. One of them was opened and examined and then all the boxes were taken in a C-APT's vehicle to Malappuram.

Customs took statements from two C-APT employees on Thursday.