The Kozhikode rural police are probing into a complaint that a Gulf returnee of Muthambi village near Koyilandy in Kozhikode district was abducted at gun point by the four-member gang at 11.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The incident came to light after the abductee, Haneefa Thoniyadatu, 33, was released on Monday with injuries. He was admitted to a private hospital.
The police said that Haneefa, suspected to a carrier of smuggled gold had returned from from Qatar three months ago. He had told the smuggling gang that the customs had confiscated the gold contraband of 650 g.m. when he arrived at the Calicut Airport. He also produced forged certificate of customs to convince the gang.
However, the gang refused to believe him and inquired about the seizure at the airport. So they waylaid Haneefa who was returning home on a motorbike at Kavumvattu road, the police said.
Based on a compliant by his brother, Ali, the Koyilandy police have registered a case under Section 143, 144, 147, 148, 304, 365, 342 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
Last month an expatriate, Ashraf Ahammed, who had returned home from Saudi Arabia, was kidnapped at gun point in Koyilandy by a gang suspected to be linked to gold smuggling. He too was suspected to have worked as a carrier and that gang involved had abducted him saying that he had not handed over the smuggled gold to the person for who the contraband was brought.
Ashraf had then told investigators that a Kannur-based gang had taken away the smuggled gold. He was also released after being tortured and abandoned at Kunnamangalam. Two days later the police arrested three members - K.K. Noushad , T. Mohammad Salih and K.T. Saifudheen - of the gang. All of them hailed from Koduvally.
The hawala racket linked ambush and tactic of hostage- taking reported from rural areas have raised concern over increase in violent crimes in the Kozhikode district.
In June, an accident at Ramanattukara on the outskirts of Kozhikode city blew the lid off a gold smuggling bid and the involvement of various gangs. Five people were killed in the accident involving an SUV and a lorry. Investigations revealed that gangs from Kannur, Koduvally and Cherpulassery were after the gold which had been seized by the Customs at Calicut Airport.
