Kerala gold smuggling case | Customs identifies kingpin, wants passport impounded: Report

The bullion metal lost Rs 2,562, or 4.68 percent, for the week on MCX as investors booked profit (Image courtesy: Reuters)

Customs has identified the kingpin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who was behind the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channels to Kerala, The Indian Express has reported.

The report suggests that the person hailed from Ernakulam district’s Muvattupuzha and was involved in many other smuggling cases.

The first information report filed in the court reportedly lists one Faizal Fareed as an accused.

The customs department has requested concerned authorities to impound passports of both Fareed and the other person, the report adds.

“He was involved in the smuggling of gold worth Rs 1,200 crore in 2013 to 2015 through Kochi international airport. The gold seized from the diplomatic cargo belonged to that person, who is yet to be named in the FIR. His role came to the fore while questioning the arrested middlemen,” a person aware of the matter told the newspaper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

On July 16, top Kerala bureaucrat M Sivasankar was suspended pending inquiry in the case, days after being removed as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

An official of the UAE Consulate in Kochi, considered a key witness, also returned to his country.

The consulate official, who enjoys immunity under the Vienna Convention, reached Delhi earlier and reportedly took another flight to the UAE.

The suspension of Sivasankar, also removed as IT Secretary and is on a year's leave, was based on the report of a high-level panel headed by Chief Secretary Dr Vishwas Mehta. The panel enquired into allegations that the officer had close links with a key woman accused in the case.

On July 5, the Customs had seized gold, weighing over 30 kilograms and valued at around Rs 15 crore from diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate.

The probe into the case has been entrusted with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has booked four people -- Sarith, Suresh, Nair and Fareed -- under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Barring Fareed, others have been arrested.