The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is planning to probe the involvement of some officials in the UAE consulate in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case.
The agency informed the NIA Special Court on Wednesday that such aspects need to be investigated after considering the diplomatic aspects involved between India and UAE.
The active or passive role of some consulate officials in the smuggling of gold under the cover of diplomatic baggage and whether some others had facilitated the illegal activities need to be found out.
More clarity would be obtained in these aspects after obtaining the custody of Faisal Fareed and Rabins Hameed, who were arrested in UAE. The confessional statements of some accused also need to be looked into, the agency said.
The agency, which contended that it was still in the initial stages of the probe into the case, said wider investigations need to be conducted in UAE and India to unearth the money trail in the case.
Larger conspiracy
Opposing the bail application of six accused in the case, P. Vijayakumar, Assistant Solicitor General, said a larger conspiracy was hatched among over 30 people and international connections were involved in the case.
Many of the accused had invested huge money into smuggling for the purchase of gold. Over ₹100 crore was suspected to be involved in deal. Some of the investors didn’t collect the returns but reinvested it, which indicated that profiteering alone was not the motive of investment, he submitted.
Arjun Ampalapatta, Senior Public Prosecutor of the agency, said the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau had alerted the NIA in October last year that the proceeds of the gold smuggling through Karipur airport might be used for terror funding and anti-national activities. It had also cautioned the agency to keep a tab on the smuggling operations through the other international airports of the State, he contended.
Court’s poser
The court asked the agency whether it could gather any evidence to prove the terror funding angle of the case after around 85 days of taking over the investigation.
As the prosecution explained the modus operandi of the smugglers, the court wondered whether the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act could be invoked in all cases of smuggling as it did in the diplomatic baggage case.
The court, which would look into the confessional statement of Sandeep Nair on Monday, may pass its orders on the bail applications on the day or Tuesday.