Kerala gold smuggling: CBI team reaches Kochi Customs office, seeks preliminary report

In a major development in Kerala gold smuggling case, a team of Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) reached Kochi Customs Office on Wednesday. Sources said that CBI has sought a preliminary report from Customs on developments in case.

CBI questions Sandeep Nair's wife

sources ded that Customs has sought permission from Ministry of External Affairs to question a person from UAE consulate who is allegedly involved in scam. y also doubt that someone from UAE consulate is helping Swapna Suresh in this matter.

Sources say that Swapna also got a conduct certificate from UAE consulate before joining as operations manr at KSITI and w officials are doubting that someone is helping Swapna from inside consulate. CBI team has meanwhile started questioning wife of Sandeep Nair (absconding suspect) in Customs preventive office. 

Earlier in day, Customs officials names Sandeep Nair who is involved along with Sarith Kumar and Swapna Suresh and said he is absconding. 

Officials to crack entire chain of crime in 2 days

Officials said that Sandeep, partner in crime with Sarith, is on run but  department is hopeful that y will be able to crack entire chain of crime in 2 days. Meanwhile, late-night raids at flat of Swapna Suresh continued as Police took charge of CCTV foot from building.

UAE Embassy in India on Tuesday said that authorities h launched an independent investigation into  gold smuggling case.  Embassy said that culprits have t only committed a major crime but also "sought to tarnish reputation of UAE mission in India" and y will t be spared.

" authorities in UAE have launched an investigation to find out who sent cargo containing gold to dress of UAE consulate," UAE Embassy in New Delhi said in a tweet.

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Kerala gold smuggling racket

On July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at  Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo dressed to a person in UAE Consulate. Sarith Kumar, who worked at  UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told Customs about role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee w working as  manr of  Kerala State Information Techlogy Infrastructure Limited.

case took a political turn after photos with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan surfaced. It has been alleged that Swapna has links with CM and has been seen with him at parties when she was working at UAE Consulate. Following backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by state government. Moreover, Principal Secretary to CM M Sivasankar has been replaced after his role in hiring Suresh came under scanner.

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