Terror sections invoked in gold smuggling case
KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has registered a case in connection with the gold smuggling through the diplomatic channel in Thiruvananthapuram, has been directed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to unearth the entire smuggling chain in Kerala and abroad. The agency suspects the involvement of a big syndicate operating from the UAE. On Friday, the NIA registered an FIR which was submitted at the NIA Court in Kochi. The agency has charged Sarith P S, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed and Sandeep Nair under Sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (funding terrorist activity) and 18 (conspiracy for terrorist activity) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Sarith is currently in the custody of the Customs which is probing the smuggling aspect.
Swapna, Fazil and Sandeep have absconded. Fazil who allegedly sent the 30kg of gold from the UAE is a businessman and has been under the radar of multiple agencies for smuggling activities. “The Customs probe will continue to look into the smuggling of gold in the particular incident. The NIA probe will be into the smuggled gold being used for funding of terrorist activities. We will coordinate with the Customs and other agencies which are also tracking the incident,” a source in the MHA said.
The quantity and the modus operandi adopted for the smuggling prompted the NIA to launch a probe. “First, the incident is related to diplomatic relations with a friendly country which also has asked the Government of India to conduct a thorough probe. No ordinary smuggler can bring in gold or any other contraband through the diplomatic channel,” an officer said.
‘End buyer of smuggled gold will be a big fish’
Similarly, the NIA’s assumption is that a small financier cannot procure such a large quantity of gold. “A small gold smuggling racket cannot afford to procure 30kg of gold worth more than `14 crore at a time. Likewise, the end buyer for whom the gold was brought will be a big fish. It is clear that there is a large syndicate behind it.
The MHA has directed the NIA to look beyond Swapna, Sarith and Sandeep who are just facilitators in the deal. The role of Fazil will be key as his arrest will unearth the operations to a greater extent,” he said.
This could be a rare case in which the NIA was involved to track down gold smugglers. In usual gold seizure cases, the probe by the Customs and DRI gets limited to carriers and agents in the deal. “As the NIA has close links with agencies abroad, the investigation is expected to shed light on the operations of gold smugglers abroad. The NIA probe will also help agencies like the Customs and DRI in investigating gold smuggling cases in the future,” a Customs official said.
Swapna member of gang: Centre to HC
Kochi: The Central government on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that Swapna Suresh, who has gone into hiding after the Customs seized 30kg of gold smuggled through the diplomatic channel, had conspired and actively participated in the illegal activity. She is a pivotal member of the gang engaged in smuggling of large quantities of gold to India.