Kerala Gold Smuggling: Customs officials summon ACAAI member for interrogation

Two days after the MHA permitted the NIA to investigate the gold smuggling case in Kerala, the Customs officials on Saturday summoned a member of the Air Cargo Association of India (ACAAI) for interrogation. This development comes a day after the FIR registered against Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed, Sandeep Nair, and others. Various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been slapped against the aforesaid individual

The ACCAI member had allegedly pressurised the customs department at the Thiruvananthapuram airport to release the diplomatic baggage which carried the smuggled gold, following which the Customs officials questioned him for around nine hours. 

On Friday, the members of Youth League, the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League staged a protest in Kozhikode to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over gold smuggling case. 

READ: Congress welcomes NIA probe in Kerala gold smuggling case; demands involvement of CBI, RAW

What is the 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 Swapna 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. Moreover, Principal Secretary to CM M Sivasankar has been replaced after his role in hiring Suresh came under the scanner. 

READ: Kerala gold scandal: NIA registers FIR against Swapna Suresh & others under UAPA

UAE launches independent probe

Meanwhile, the UAE Embassy in India revealed that the UAE authorities had launched an independent investigation into the Kerala gold smuggling case. It noted that this probe shall ascertain the identity of the person/s who sent the cargo containing gold to the address of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Stressing that the culprits had committed a major crime, it stated that this incident had tarnished the reputation of the UAE Consulate. The UAE Embassy reiterated its commitment to cooperate with the Indian authorities and punishing the culprits. 

READ: Woman wanted in gold smuggling case booked under UAPA: NIA to Kerala HC

READ: IS link emerges in Kerala Gold smuggling; NIA opposes Swapna Suresh's bail in HC

(With Inputs from ANI)