Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told the court that influential people at high levels in Kerala and officials at the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram will have to be questioned for a proper investigation into the diplomatic parcel gold smuggling case detected at the Trivandrum International Airport.
The agency has received legal advice to move through the Interpol to bring to India the four suspects in the case now in the UAE to avoid delays by the Gulf nation in extraditing them.
The investigation team told the NIA court that a search notice (blue corner notice) would be issued against the third accused Faisal Fareed, the 10th accused Rabins Hameed, the 15th accused Siddiqul Akbar and the 20th accused Ahmedkutty. The NIA gave the details in its new remand report on Mohammad Anwar, Hamjad Ali, TM Sanju and Hamzat Abdul Salam, who are the last to be arrested in the case so far.
The results of the examination of the electronic and digital devices found from the 16 accused arrested so far will offer crucial evidence to prove the conspiracy involved in the case, NIA officials said.
Although the delay in the results is affecting the progress of the investigation, the probe team believes that they would offer enough evidence to maintain UAPA in the case.
All the culprits involved in the gold smuggling racket have not yet been identified. The NIA said an investigation is underway at home and abroad to find out the anti-national activities of the racket.
The NIA is interrogating some accused and gathering evidence with the help of the UAE police in Dubai. Investigations have indicated that fugitives who have been evading Indian agencies for years are involved in the smuggling operations. Intelligence agencies have received information that there is even a syndicate of such criminals that is operating abroad.
