The diplomatic channel gold smuggling case may have serious repercussions for the country’s relations with the UAE government and is prejudicial to its monetary and economic security, said the remand report submitted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before the NIA Special Court here on Tuesday.
The accused conspired together and separately at various places to damage the monetary stability of the country by smuggling large quantities of gold from abroad. It is suspected that the proceeds might have been used for financing terrorism through various means, the report said.
Kingpin
The agency said it had gathered information that K.T. Ramees was the kingpin in the case. Fourth accused Sandeep Nair stated before the agency that Ramees insisted on smuggling gold in large quantities and for maximum times during the lockdown period as the financial position of the country was weak.
The NIA sought further custody of the accused to unearth the role played by them and the co-accused.
Innocent: Swapna
In her bail application, second accused Swapna Suresh submitted that she was totally innocent of the allegations levelled against her and the case was the offshoot of a political rivalry between the State and the Central governments. The case was triggered by colourful and fictitious stories aired by media and the truth was far from what was said and done, she submitted.
Swapna submitted that though she was not in the service of the Counsel General of the Consulate of UAE, she had maintained a good relationship with the consulate, which used to assign certain works concerning the diplomats and their families on work on request basis. Though the Customs had arraigned her as an accused in the gold smuggling case, nothing was recovered from her, stated Swapna. She maintained that she was not a party to the cargo and had not facilitated the import of gold through diplomatic channel.
The special court will consider the bail application on Friday.