Kerala Gold smuggling case: Customs issues show-cause notices to Swapna Suresh, 52 others

The Customs department probing into the Kerala gold smuggling case has issued show-cause notices on Sunday, June 20 to 53 people including prime accused Swapna Suresh, suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar and two former diplomats in the UAE consulate, Thiruvananthapuram, as per official sources. The notices asking why action under Customs Act should not be taken against them in the smuggling cases were issued by Customs (Preventive) Commissioner Sumit Kumar on June 16. 

The case against them involves the smuggling of a total of 167 kg of gold 23 times including the illegal trade of 30 kilograms gold worth nearly Rs 15 crore that was seized by the Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag on July 5, 2020. On June 9, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made their  35th arrest by nabbing key conspirator Muhammed Mansoor. 

As per sources, Former UAE Consulate General Jamal al-Zabi and Attach Rashid Khamis Ali were issued notice through the Union Finance Ministry, sources said. The Finance Ministry will forward the matter to the External Affairs Ministry as it is a matter involving foreign diplomats who have already left the country, they said.

Based on the statements of the accused the show-cause notices were prepared and the documents that were seized and other evidence collected during the probe. They have been requested to inform if they desire to be heard in person before the case is adjudicated. "All these people are given a chance of 30 days for a reply," the source said.

Besides Suresh, six others who were served notices are currently detained under COFEPOSA (the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act). The key accused who were served notices included Sarith P S, Sandeep Nair, and KT Ramees, they said.

Kerala gold smuggling scam probe

The Vijayan-led government in Kerala has also been facing heat in the gold smuggling scam ahead with the opposition seeking the CM's ouster. On July 5, 2020, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith PS who worked at the UAE Consulate was apprehended in this regard. Subsequently, Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited, and M Sivasankar, the ex-Principal Secretary to Kerala CM were also arrested in this case.

In January 2020, the NIA had filed a charge sheet before the Special Court. Claiming that the conspiracy started in June 2019, the agency alleged that the aforesaid persons raised funds and smuggled 167 kg of gold between November 2019 and June 2020 through the import cargo addressed to diplomats at the Consulate General of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram. Moreover, it added that the main accused had planned to smuggle more gold from countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Holding them responsible for threatening the "economic security of India", the agency revealed that the probe against absconding persons and others who facilitated the crime is underway.

(With PTI Inputs)

(Image Credits: PTI/@MUMBAICUS1-TWITTER)