The Customs (Preventive), Kochi started questioning wife of Arjun Ayanki, an accused in the Karipur gold smuggling case, at its office in Kochi on July 5.
Amala, Mr. Ayanki’s wife, reached the office along with her lawyer. The investigating team had obtained documents and digital evidence linking Mr. Ayanki, a former member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), to the gold smuggling racket. He was arrested by the Customs last week.
The officials expect to get leads into the financial sources of Mr. Ayanki from his wife. The accused had initially claimed that his wife's family had helped him financially. However, the investigating team hoped that Ms. Amala would be able to provide further details into his association with the smuggling racket.
Meanwhile, the custody period of Mohammed Shafeeque Melathil, a Malappuram native, who was arrested by the Customs for smuggling 2.3 kg of gold worth 1.11 crore concealed in a coffee-making machine on arrival from Dubai on June 21, ended on Monday. He will be produced before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence).
The case had gathered momentum after the arrest of Mr. Shafeeque Melathil. He told the investigating team that Mr. Ayanki had connected him to persons involved in the smuggling of gold.
The Customs had also interrogated C. Sajesh, former zonal secretary of the DYFI in Chembilode at Kannur as part of its probe into the Karipur gold smuggling case. The federation had ousted Sajesh after reports emerged that Mr. Ayanki had used a car registered in his name for receiving gold from carriers and transporting the contraband safely to those who had financed the illegal import.
He also chanced to be an appraiser who certified the purity of gold received as collateral at the Cooperative Bank in Koyyode in Kannur. The CPI(M) has suspended Mr. Sajeesh from its primary membership for one year.
The Customs had also raided the houses of 'Kodi' Suni and Mohammed Shafi, convicts in the T. P. Chandrasekharan murder case, at Mahi on Saturday. The inspection was held based on the statement by Mr. Ayanki that Suni and Shafi had helped him in robbing gold from smugglers and they had been paid for helping him.
