KOCHI: Swapna Suresh and Sarith PS, key accused in the gold smuggling case, have revealed to the customs the details of a few more persons engaged in smuggling activities. Customs officials told TNIE that Swapna and Sarith — former employees of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram — divulged the names of smugglers after the central agency questioned the duo in connection with the smuggling of currencies by Khalid Ali Shoukry, the former finance head of the UAE consulate.
According to customs sources, the revelation would extend the probe to influential persons in Kerala as well as foreign nationals who were part of the UAE consulate.“From the statements of Swapna and Sarith, along with an investigation carried out by our team, it is clear that the cases relating to the smuggling of gold through diplomatic baggage and foreign currency smuggling case are interlinked. We have received the names of foreign nationals linked to the UAE consulate who were executing the illegal activities and the names of Keralites supporting it. More people will be accused in the case and more arrests will be made in the coming days,” a customs official said.
The currency smuggling incident was revealed by Swapna in her statement given to customs after her arrest in the gold smuggling case. According to her, Shoukry — an Egyptian national — carried USD 1,90,000 while travelling to Cairo via Oman in 2019. Swapna and Sarith accompanied him to Muscat after which they travelled to Dubai, and Shoukry left for Cairo.
“The diplomatic baggage was used to smuggle other goods which were later sold in the local market in Thiruvananthapuram. This includes food, cosmetics and electronic products. Similarly, diplomats including the consul-general carried currencies above the permitted limited enjoying diplomatic immunity. We suspect that some persons in the state, using their influence in the consulate, managed to import goods illegally via the diplomatic channel,” the customs official said.
Sivasankar arraigned in currency smuggling case
Meanwhile, the customs has arraigned former principal secretary M Sivasankar as an accused in the currency smuggling case. Sources said his statement was recorded while he was in the customs’ custody as part of the probe into the gold smuggling case.
Sivasankar falsely implicated in gold smuggling case, counsel tells HC
Kochi: Jaideep Gupta, senior Supreme Court lawyer, who appeared for M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister. argued that there was no evidence to link his client with the gold smuggling case or in any process or activities connected with the proceeds of the crime including its concealment/possession. When the bail petition came up for hearing, the counsel argued that the arrest of Sivasankar and his arraignment on the charges in this case is borne out of his association with Swapna Suresh, who turned out to be a prime accused in the case. Therefore, he is a victim of association and nothing more.
Swapna and Sarith gave confession statements in gold, currency cases
Kochi: In a major development in the gold and currency smuggling cases, Swapna Suresh and Sarith P S on Wednesday gave confession statements before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court under Section 164 of the CrPC. Both are likely to be made approvers in the case though the customs is yet to take a final decision in this regard. It was on Tuesday that the customs filed an application before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court to record the confidential statement of Swapna and Sarith in the gold smuggling and currency smuggling cases. The court on Wednesday directed the JFMC to record their statements in both cases under Section 164.