THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state police have been awaiting extradition of as many as 30 people from various countries against whom Interpol has issued red notices for involvement in various criminal offences in state. The list includes foreign nationals, non-resident Keralites and persons of Indian origin. Of these, two are women and the oldest among those against whom a red notice was issued is a US citizen, hailing from Palakkad. The woman was an accused in a counterfeit currency case registered in 1988 and is now in her 80s, said police sources.
The list of suspects to be extradited also includes a Spaniard, who is accused of being part of an international drug cartel which smuggled drugs to the country. He was arrested in Kerala and later released on bail. While out on bail, he had fled from the country. A Romanian native, who was wanted in connection with an ATM heist in 2016, also finds a place in the list of 30.
The Romanian national, sources said, was involved in the sensational ATM skimming case in Thiruvananthapuram. He was tracked down to Costa Rica in Central America and the police have forwarded his documents to the Interpol to push their case for his extradition.
The ATM heist was conducted by a five-member team. While one of the suspects was arrested from Mumbai, another one was arrested from Nicaragua. Two other suspects were traced to Germany and the UK. It’s the remaining suspect, who was tracked down to Costa Rica. The two, who were arrested, are out on bail.