KOCHI: It seems that the Customs’ decision to invoke the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) provisions against gold smuggling case accused Sandeep Nair has not gone down well with the NIA which is probing the terrorism angle in the case. The move has adversely affected NIA’s plans to make Sandeep an approver.
The NIA referred to this when a petition filed by Customs to receive a copy of the confession statement given by Sandeep in the NIA case came up for hearing at the NIA Court here on Friday. The Customs special prosecutor was not present and the court sought the opinion of NIA prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta who appeared via Google Meet.
Ambalapatta said there is some difference of interest over the matter. “We had gone through the confession statement given by Sandeep and found that he has revealed all details. We were planning to turn him as an approver. However, by that time, the Customs invoked COFEPOSA against him and he is being detained. Now we have to wait till a decision is taken on the Customs case,” he submitted.