Customs officer in dock over bid to help gold smugglers

The police on Thursday took a customs superintendent at the Kozhikode airport into custody for trying to help two Kasaragod natives smuggle gold.
Image used for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)
Image used for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)

MALAPPURAM: The police on Thursday took a customs superintendent at the Kozhikode airport into custody for trying to help two Kasaragod natives smuggle gold. Muniappan P, 46, allegedly made a deal with the carriers to hand over half of the 640g seized gold to them outside the airport by accepting a bribe of `25,000. The Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Kochi, has suspended Muniappan pending an inquiry.

According to the police, Kasaragod natives K H Abdul Nasser, 46, and K J Jamsheer, 20, arrived at the airport by an Air India Express flight at 2.15am. They had 640g of gold with them, which they tried to smuggle out. However, during the inspection, Muniappan found the gold ornaments in their luggage. “The officer allegedly made a deal with the carriers and recorded the seizure of only 320g of the gold. He promised to take the remaining half of the gold out of the airport and hand it over to them for `25,000,” the police said.

The gold carriers came out of the airport but were nabbed by police officers who had been waiting outside following a tip-off. While in police custody, the carriers received a call from Muniappan asking them to reach a place near his house in Karipur for handing over the gold. The police then accompanied the carriers and took the officer into custody.

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The New Indian Express
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