Kerala gold smuggling case: Customs department arrests two more people

The Customs has also taken an owner of a gold jewellery shop Malappuram under interrogation, who is being questioned at the agency's office in Kochi.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

KOCHI: Customs department probing the smuggling of gold using UAE diplomatic channel through Thiruvananthapuram airport has arrested two more persons who were financiers to procure the gold.

The Customs has also taken an owner of a gold jewellery shop Malappuram under interrogation, who is being questioned at the agency's office in Kochi.

The arrested were identified as Mohammed Anwar TM, 43, and Said Alavi, 60, both from Malappuram, who had contributed funds to procure the gold.

Muvattupuzha native Jalal, who was arrested on Wednesday, collected fund and handed it to Rameez who was also arrested in the case.

The customs department has taken seven people in total under custody as of now.

According to Customs, a fund of eight crore rupees was collected from various financiers for procuring the gold which was sent to Dubai via hawala channel.

The gang had promised seven lakh rupees as commission to Swapna Suresh and Sarith Kumar if the smuggling attempt was successful.

The Customs is now tracing down the buyers of the gold.

An officer said that gold was bought by jewellers based in Malappuram and Kozhikode district.

"One jeweller who has a shop in Malappuram is suspected to have bought the gold is being interrogated. We are looking for more jewellers involved in the case," they said.

Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate also has launched a probe after hawala transactions surfaced in the case.

The agency is also looking to track down in unaccounted money used for procuring and buying the gold.

A case is likely to be registered soon.

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