KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a hunt for Kaipamangalam native Faisal Fareed, one of the accused in the gold smuggling case. Source said NIA was in touch with agencies in the UAE – both sides maintain good ties with each other – to put Faisal under surveillance.
“Indian Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs are already in touch with the authorities concerned in the UAE to extend the probe to inspect the operations of the racket there. The agencies there are tracking him to prevent him from absconding,” said a source.
Faisal is said to have sent the now-seized consignment of 30kg gold that was addressed to a UAE diplomat in Thiruvananthapuram. In his statement to the Customs officers, first accused Sarith P S had divulged details about Faisal and his involvement in the case. The NIA has also collected information from Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, who are currently in its custody. “Swapna and Sandeep know Faisal well and have met him in Dubai before. There are more persons in the UAE involved in the network of illegally supplying gold to the gang,” sources said.
The NIA court in Kochi on Tuesday also issued an open-end non-bailable arrest warrant against Faisal. Unlike normal warrants, open-end warrants have no expiry date. NIA will also issue a lookout notice against Faisal and has requested the Interpol to issue a ‘Blue-Corner notice’ against him.
NIA also moved the court with a plea to serve a production warrant to produce Sarith before the court. The Customs custody of Sarith ends on Wednesday. The NIA also filed a petition seeking permission to open the bag, which was recovered from Sandeep and handed over to the court, in the court’s presence.