Kochi: Police personnel produce Sarith, accused in gold smuggling case, at a special court in Kochi, Thursday, July 9, 2020. (PTI)
India on Thursday said it was keeping the embassy of the United Arab Emirates informed about the case of alleged smuggling of 30 kgs of gold into Kerala and that the mission was extending all cooperation to the customs authorities examining it.
Last week, customs authorities at Thiruvananthapuram airport seized 30 kgs of gold from a diplomatic bag that was addressed to the consulate of the Gulf nation in the southern state. The gold was allegedly smuggled in a chartered flight.
On Wednesday, the UAE said it has launched an investigation into the case.
“The customs authorities, following established protocol and procedure, have seized a consignment sent from abroad in the name of an official working in the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Thiruvananthapuram,” Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing.
“The Ministry of External Affairs had kept the Embassy of the UAE informed regarding the matter. The UAE Mission has extended all cooperation to the Customs Authorities in examining the said consignment. The matter is under further investigation,” he said.
The UAE embassy, in a statement, said on Tuesday that the culprits not only committed a “major crime” but also sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India.