KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday made one more arrest in the Kerala gold smuggling case in which around 167 kg of gold were brought from the UAE using diplomatic baggage on 21 occasions in 2019 and 2020.
The central agency arrested Muhammad Mansoor also known as Manju, aged 36, a native of Kallurutty near Thiruvambady, Kozhikode. He is the 35th accused in the case.
Mansoor arrived at Kochi airport on a flight from Dubai on Wednesday morning and was intercepted by immigration officials after a lookout notice was issued against him. Later NIA officials arrived at the airport and recorded his arrest before taking him to the NIA office in Kochi.
"He assisted in procuring the gold and dispatching it to Kerala. We arraigned him as accused based on the statement of a witness in the case. He was in Dubai for more than a year. He can reveal names of persons who aided him in Dubai," an NIA official said.
There are also reports that Mansoor returned to Kerala to surrender before the NIA. However, the NIA is yet to confirm this.
The NIA will seek his custody after producing him before the NIA court in Kochi soon. This is the 22nd arrest made by NIA in the gold smuggling case. The NIA had filed a charge sheet against 20 accused persons in the case in January this year. As many as six persons who are wanted in the case are still absconding and most of them are believed to be in the UAE.