Man arrested in gold smuggling case sent to Customs custody for further investigation

A court here on Thursday sent to the Customs custody a man arrested in connection with the seizure of gold worth over Rs 15 crore from a "diplomatic baggage" at Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently.

A court here on Thursday sent to the Customs custody a man arrested in connection with the seizure of gold worth over Rs 15 crore from a "diplomatic baggage" at Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently. TheAdditional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court sent Sarith, a former employee of foreign country's consulate in Kerala, to the custody of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate till July 15.

The court accepted the argument of the Customs that the custodial interrogation of the man was required to carry forward the investigation in the case. Sarith was arrested on Monday following his interrogation in connection with the seizure of gold from the "diplomatic baggage".

The man, remanded to judicial custody since then, was produced before the court on Thursday after he was subject to COVID-19 test. The gold weighing over 30 kg was seized from a diplomatic baggage that had landed by air cargo at Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently.

The Customs has said it suspected a smuggling syndicate had misused the name of a person who enjoys diplomatic immunity by sending the gold concealed in a parcel of bathroom equipment. The Central agencies are looking for a woman, also a former employee of the consulate in Thiruvananthapuram and sacked from contractual service in the state I-T department after her name was linked to the smuggling case.

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