KOZHIKODE: After photos of wanted gold smuggler Abu Laiz with both LDF and UDF politicians surfacing one after the other in the past two days, the Central enforcement agencies are crying foul that it was this unholy nexus of Laiz with politicians that helped him evade police under Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa) since 2014 and visit his house at Koduvally a couple of times during the period.
Enforcement and Central intelligence agencies believe that Abul Laiz received ground support from political leaders and their supporters to clandestinely visit his house at Koduvally after the issuance of the look-out notice. Central officers said the state police, which was supposed to nab Laiz, remained mute spectator to his visits to Koduvally as he enjoyed strong political support both during the UDF and LDF regimes. Kannur Range Inspector General Mahipal Yadav refuted this saying the police could not be blamed for not nabbing the accused.
“We dont know the complete details of the case as we are not handling it. It’s up to the agencies concerned to keep track of the movement of the absconding accused,” he said.
But now both Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Intelligence Bureau, the agencies which have been on the look out for Abul Laiz, remain flabbergasted as photos of Abul Laiz along political leaders and elected representatives surfaced in the last couple of days.
On Tuesday, another set of photos went viral in social media showing Abu Laiz with Kozhikode DCC president T Siddique and Youth League state secretary P K Firoz. The latest photos have come as a shocker to the UDF leadership which has been clamouring against the LDF when photos of Abu Laiz with LDF independent MLAs - Karat Razack and P T A Rahim—went viral on Sunday. Intelligence officers say that Abu Laiz never entered the country though an airport but used Nepal as a transit point from where he entered India through road.
“If he had come through any airport, his passport will be flagged. He had either reached Kerala through road after entering India from Nepal or used domestic flights,” the officers said and added the political leaders had taken photos with Laiz after the look-out notice was issued against him in 2014. “It was in 2014 that Cofeposa was evoked against him. The DRI has been renewing the Cofeposa warrant against him every year,” the officers said.
DCC president T Siddique said he never knew Abu Laiz and it was only when the controversial photo of Abu Laiz along with MLAs P T Rahim and Karat Razack went viral, he came to know about him.
“Me and Firoz went to West Asia together only once and it was before the last Assembly polls. During our visit to various places in UAE, we interacted with hundreds of Malayalees there and the particular photo might be taken during that time. I want the state government and the Union Government to launch a fair probe into the whole conspiracy,” Siddique added.