KOCHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday arrested the prime accused in the Karipur gold smuggling case, who had gone into hiding after being released on bail in Kozhikode.
According to DRI officials, Koduvally-native Shahbaz was arrested in front of a hotel near the Kozhikode beach. The officials also seized narcotic drugs from his possession. Shahbaz allegedly smuggled gold through the Karipur airport in 2013, using two air-hostesses.
“While on the run, he maintained contact with the gold smuggling racket and coordinated their operations. Recently, we had put Shahbaz’s aides under surveillance following a tip-off that he had arrived in Kozhikode.
When he went underground, we approached the court and cancelled his bail. He was involved in various gold smuggling cases being probed by the DRI and the Kerala unit of the Customs Department,” said the DRI officials. Shahbaz will be produced before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence) on Tuesday.