The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to investigate the Thiruvananthapuram airport gold smuggling case.
In a statement here on Friday, the NIA said that initial inquiries revealed that the “proceeds of smuggled gold could be used for financing terrorism in India.”
The 30-kg gold concealed in imported plumbing material was seized by the Custom officials on July 5 upon inspection of an air cargo consignment addressed to the Consular General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The NIA registered the case under Sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against four accused persons Sarith P.S., Swapna Prabha Suresh, Fazil Fareed and Sandeep Nair.
“The aforesaid consignment was found camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from the UAE that is exempted from inspection as per the Vienna Convention. The said consignment was to be received by Sarith who had worked in the UAE Consulate earlier as Public Relations Officer. Initial investigation by Customs Department has revealed that Sarith had received multiple such consignments earlier as well,” the NIA said.
It further added that as the case pertains to smuggling of large quantity of gold into India from offshore locations threatening the economic stability and national security of the country, it amounted to a terrorist act as stated in Section 15 of the UAPA.
“Further, as the case has national and international linkages and as the initial inquiries have revealed that the proceeds of smuggled gold could be used for financing terrorism in India, the agency has taken up the investigation of the case,” the NIA said.
Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an “effective and coordinated” investigation by “all Central agencies concerned” regarding the seizure of the gold.
One of the suspects, Swapna Prabha Suresh, moved an anticipatory bail plea claiming she was innocent. She was an employee of the Consulate until the government appointed her as marketing liaison officer of the Space Park project under the IT Department’s Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited.
In her plea, she said that though she had resigned from the Consulate, she was still working as secretary on “request basis” in view of the COVID-19 situation. Custom officials had named her as a "suspect and person of interest."