KOCHI: A few hours after Customs officials at Thiruvananthapuram airport seized the diplomatic baggage containing 30kg of gold on July 5, prime accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair had reached Kochi where they stayed at a hotel at Perumanoor for two days. Swapna revealed this in the confession statement she gave to the Customs.She said when the consignment containing gold was seized, she and her family, along with a lawyer, reached Varkala from where the lawyer parted with them. “Sandeep joined us at Varkala. My family and I came to Kochi the same night and stayed at the hotel. We met another lawyer and gave a Vakalath...We (later) escaped to Bengaluru from where we were arrested by the NIA,” she said in the statement.
As for her employment at the UAE Consulate, Swapna said she worked as the secretary of the consul-general till September 2019 after which she resigned on his directive.“His excellency was expecting a transfer and promised me to take me with him. Though I had resigned, I was in regular touch with him and he used to avail my services as usual and unofficially,” she said.
Meanwhile, the NIA investigation has revealed that the first four consignments containing gold were sent via the diplomatic channel in the name of Muhammad, a West Bengal native. Consignments five till 18 were sent in the name of Dawood, a UAE citizen. The 19th consignment was sent in Dubai native Hashim’s name, while the 20th and 21st consignments were sent in the name of Kaipamangalam native Faisal Fareed. It was the 21st consignment that was seized.