KOCHI: Following allegations that the gang which blackmailed Malayalam movie actor Shamna Kasim is also involved in gold smuggling, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Kerala, has sought information from police about the accused persons.It has also launched a probe to verify whether those arrested in the case are members of gold smuggling rackets operating from the state.
The actions come after several women who lodged complaints against the gang alleged that the accused persons wanted to recruit them for smuggling gold. “Our officers are in touch with the police. They are assessing whether this gang is connected to any smuggling syndicates. We have asked the police to share information so that we can conduct a detailed probe. Smugglers usually lure and recruit people hailing from poor families as gold carriers,” Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar told TNIE.
He said smuggling-related matters are probed by the Customs after registering a case under the Customs Act. The police can only assist the Customs in such matters. If they provide us access to the accused, our officers are ready to question them,” he said.He said if it emerges that the accused were involved in smuggling, the Customs can take action against them and even invoke the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act against them.
“We can at least include them in the list of persons who we monitor to prevent smuggling. If it is found they travelled frequently, we can keep an eye on them. Informers who know about the gang can provide us tip-offs. They will be rightly rewarded,” he said. Meanwhile, the Customs is collecting information about a huge smuggling racket Thrissur which was unearthed last year. Most of the accused persons hail from Thrissur and officers believe that the information from there would be vital as several small gangs active in smuggling have emerged from the district’s coastal belt.