'Kerala Gold smugglers frequented CM's office, have close links with him': BJP's Surendran

K Surendran, BJP Kerala state president, alleged that two officials in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office and two ministers of government have close links with prime accused in gold smuggling. He was dressing media on Thursday at state office in Thiruvananthapuram. "se officials have contacted prime accused directly and through phone calls, multiple times," he said. 

Gold smuggling prime accused Swapna Suresh, Sarith and Sandeep Nair have frequented CMO office, he pointed out. He also vised Kerala Chief Minister to step down before this information comes out in public domain. Emphasising that he is making se allegations with full responsibility, he said that CM's ex-principal secretary Sivasankar was doing all illegalities with full support of Chief Minister.

" Chief Minister is main beneficiary in gold smuggling. His close aides have received proceeds of crime as Chief Minister himself is kingpin," he alleged.

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He pointed out that a large number of donations have poured in from abro. In a bid to explain role of Chief Minister, he asked, "How is it that Swapna and Sivasankar reached UAE four days before Chief Minister was to arrive?" He also alleged Swapna h played a key role for Chief Minister during his visit to UAE. 

" controversial calls which Sivasankar me to customs officials to t check bagg," as alleged by Surendran, "was done by tainted IAS office by saying pack was for Chief Minister himself."

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'Sivasankar's pressured customs official'

In April 2019, Sivasankar me calls to customs officials saying to clear bagg which came via diplomatic routes. pressure put by Sivasankar led to n-examination of bagg by customs.  Sivasankar h accepted this during his interrogation by ED on October 15 this month. Although he denied same later, ED has secured evidence that pins officer. " chats between Swapna and Sivasankar, which ED h intercepted from hidden iPhone of Swapna, clearly showed Swapna h pressured him to do so. Two months later, in July 2019, prime accused sent dummy packets through diplomatic channels. " bagg was cleared, without checking, as pressure was put by Sivasankar two months early," said an ED source.

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