Kerala gold smuggling case: NIA arrests two more accused; gets custody for 4 days

The NIA arrested two more persons- Sharafudeen and Shafeeq in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case on Monday. This action was taken when their roles in the smuggling of gold through diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate surfaced in the probe. According to the NIA, Sharafudeen and Shafeeq aided accused KT Rameez in collecting the smuggled gold from Sandeep Nair at Thiruvananthapuram. 

The agency stated that this information was revealed during the custodial interrogation of KT Rameez. On Tuesday, Sharafudeen and Shafeeq were produced before the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam and were remanded to 4 days in NIA custody. So far, 12 persons have been arrested in this case.  

Read: Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Customs Likely To Interrogate Accused M Sivasankar Again

After the NIA took over the case, it registered an FIR against Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed, Sandeep Nair, and others. Various sections of the UAPA were slapped against the aforesaid individuals. The NIA has alleged that the smuggled gold was not used for jewellery purpose but for funding terror activities.

Read: Kerala Gold Smuggling: BJP Suggests Links To Financing Network Of Terrorist Organisations

Kerala gold smuggling case

On July 5, 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 Kumar, who worked at the UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee now working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited.

The case took a political turn after photos with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan surfaced. It has been alleged that Suresh has links with the CM and has been seen with him at parties when she was working at the UAE Consulate. Following the backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by the state government.

On July 16, Vijayan announced that the suspension of his former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar pending the departmental inquiry. It was reportedly found that he had violated the All-India Services Conduct rules due to his connections with the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling accused. Meanwhile, the Congress party not only decided to move a no-confidence motion against the Left Front government but also demanded the resignation of the Kerala CM. 

Read: Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Customs Joint Commissioner Aniesh Rajan Transferred To Nagpur