The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday appeared to be focussed on tracing the contours of the Thiruvananthapuram-end of the international plot to smuggle gold into the country in air cargo consignments addressed to the UAE consulate here.
Investigators escorted K.T. Rameez, one of the suspects in the case, to an apartment in a high-rise complex near the Secretariat. Former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, M. Sivasankar, who was questioned by the agency as part of its probe into the national security ramifications of the case, had an apartment in the complex.
According to a senior Customs official, Rameez had financed the crime. He channelled funds raised from a set of investors in north Kerala via a Hyderabad-based hawala network to the Dubai end of the racket.
The main accused in the case, P. Sarith and Swapna Suresh, both former UAE consulate officials, were responsible for clearing the cargo containing the contraband using the diplomatic channel. They had met Rameez through Sandeep Nair, another accused in the crime.
To Swapna’s flat
The NIA also took Rameez to a flat owned by Swapna and a hotel he regularly booked into during his trips to the capital. The agents also escorted him to the house of Sandeep Nair, another accused in the case.
The Customs had raided his house earlier and purportedly “found” bathroom fittings and microwave ovens allegedly used to conceal gold. A Customs official said the department believed that Rameez’s visits coincided with the illegal import of gold. He allegedly received the contraband from the accused and handled its disposal.
He allegedly played the role of a bookkeeper and allocated the others their share of the proceeds. A part of it was purportedly sent to Dubai via the informal hawala channel to dodge banking regulators.
Bid to import air rifle
The NIA also has sought records relating to Rameez’s alleged bid to import powerful air rifles into the State under the cover of a shooting club. They have also approached the Forest Department for records relating to a deer poaching case in which Rameez was a key suspect.
Meanwhile, the NIA’s presence in the capital triggered widespread speculation that the agency would record the statement of some higher-ups in government who had interacted with Swapna and Sarith. It was likely that the agency would issue notices to record their statements.