Kannur: Customs officials investigating the Karipur gold smuggling case are now focusing on ‘Kudukkil brothers’, a gang based at Koduvally in Kozhikode district. According to Customs, the 2.33 kg of gold seized by it from a carrier named Muhammed Shafeek at Karipur Airport on June 21 was meant for four gangs, including Kudukkil brothers. The other three gangs have already been identified by officials.
Meanwhile, officials have learnt that a dummy carrier was arranged by Kudukkil brothers to foil the plans of Arjun Ayanki, who had arrived at Karipur from Kannur to steal the smuggled gold.
As per information collected by a special team of the Customs Preventive Wing, Kudukkil brothers are involved in gold smuggling, money laundering and extortion. They are also notorious for torturing carriers who cheat and those who loot smuggled gold. The gold smuggling operations of the gang extend to most major airports in India.
Arjun and Yusuf connected
Customs has also come across information indicating that Arjun Ayanki and Yusuf, a Kannur native involved in the case, were friends. In fact, the same agent had informed Ayanki and Yusuf about the arrival of Shafeek with 2.33 kg gold at Karipur.
Incidentally, while Yusuf was aware that Arjun would be reaching Karipur airport seeking Shafeek, Arjun was in the dark about Yusuf’s presence.
A Customs officer said that Yusuf had told Shafeek to send a selfie to Arjun after wearing a shirt as instructed by him and later wear another shirt, click a selfie and send it to him (Yusuf).
