KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has brought Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, the key suspects in the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case, who were nabbed from Bengaluru on Saturday night, to Kochi.
The sleuths reached District Government Hospital, Aluva by noon and carried out their medical tests which included COVID-19 tests.
After completing the medical check-up, the duo will be produced before the special NIA court by 4 pm, according to the officials. A team of Aluva East Police is accompanying the NIA sleuths.
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The journey encountered a minor hassle when a tyre of the vehicle carrying Swapna punctured at Wadakkancherry. The team resumed the journey after taking the accused in another vehicle.
Swapna along with her husband and two children reached Bengaluru two days ago. First, they had stayed in a hotel in BTM layout then they shifted to Octave hotel in Koramangala.
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Following a tip-off, the Bengaluru NIA team raided the hotel and detained Swapna. During the raid, Swapna and Sandeep were in one room along with his son while her daughter was found in another room.
Her husband had gone out to buy something. Their passports, three mobile phones, a sum of Rs 2.5 lakh, and identity cards have been recovered.
Additional SP Shaukat Ali and Chief Investigation Officer Radhakrishnan reached Bengaluru on Saturday itself to take them to Kerala, according to sources.
Meanwhile, a section of Youth Congress workers and Yuva Morcha activists held a protest at Aluva town during the arrival of the NIA sleuths with the accused. Police managed to keep the situation under control. However, now the protesters are raising slogans in front of the Aluva hospital.
In another major development in the case, the Custom sleuths arrested Ramees, a native of Perinthalmanna, who is suspected to collect the smuggled gold. The interrogation of Ramees in underway at Customs office, Kochi.