Kochi: Kerala gold smuggling racket kingpins had plotted to transport the yellow metal via diplomatic consignment channels fifteen times during the COVID-lockdown after successfully operating nineteen similar deals before it, as per the investigation team.
The accused had collected vast amounts of money for this from Kerala and abroad and the idea to co-opt many accomplices resulted in the plot getting busted while the second parcel in the name of third accused, Faisal Fareed, reached Thiruvananthapuram, as per his own confession.
The NIA and Customs have also collected evidence to prove that gold was smuggled 19 times to Kerala before the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed. Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case accused KT Ramees, Rabins and Hameed were the masterminds of these operations.
Gold was smuggled via diplomatic consignment sent in the names of UAE nationals Dawood and Hashim. While the consignment came in Dawood's name 14 times and Hashim's name once. Gold was smuggled in consignments to Bengal native Muhammed four times.
A multi-agency probe was initiated after the Customs seized 30kg gold from a diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram in July. Key accused in the case P S Sarith, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair has been arrested.
Apart from Thiruvananthapuram, gold smuggling is suspected to have been carried out via other airports in India. But the racket in Dubai preferred smuggling via Thiruvananthapuram airport, the probe revealed.
The influence of Swapna and Sarith wielded at the airport and the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram was the trigger for preferring this route.
Media person grilled
TV journalist, Anil Nambiar, was questioned for five hours at the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi on Thursday in connection with the gold smuggling case.
Anil will be summoned again for questioning if needed, the Customs said.
Anil Nambiar had telephoned accused Swapna twice on July 5, when the Customs inspected the diplomatic baggage and found the gold concealed in it.
Swapna’s statements about Anil Nambiar run into three pages. The statements given by Anil on Thursday also back the details provided by Swapna on how they got acquainted.
Anil said he had called Swapna to confirm the news reports.
The probe team, however, pointed out that the timings and the duration of phone calls did not back this explanation.
A summons was also issued to Arun Balachandran, former IT fellow of the CM. However, he did not turn up at the Commissionerate.
