Congress welcomes NIA probe in Kerala gold smuggling case; demands involvement of CBI, RAW

After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) permitted the NIA to probe in the Kerala gold smuggling case on Thursday, state Congress chief Mullappally Ramachandran welcomed the decision. He appealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government should also rope in CBI and RAW, in addition to the NIA, for the investigation in the case.

'It is a matter of national security'

"I welcome the NIA probe in the gold smuggling case. I had written to the Prime Minister demanding an NIA probe. However, the Prime Minister and the Central government should also announce a CBI and RAW investigations in addition to the NIA investigation," he said. He said that there is a huge racket behind the gold smuggling.

"Some of the officials, including those in customs, are associated with this racket. It is a matter of national security and friendly relations with the UAE which requires high priority," he said. The state Congress chief said that a parallel economy that was destroying India's economy could not be allowed to grow under the shadow of the gold smuggling gang.

The gold weighing over 30 kg was seized from baggage, carrying the name of a diplomatic person, that had landed by air cargo at Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently. The Customs department has said that it suspected a smuggling syndicate had misused the name of a person in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate who enjoys diplomatic immunity.

READ | Gold smuggling case: Accused Swapna Suresh moves Kerala High Court to seek bail

Key accused sent to custody

The anticipatory bail plea of Swapna Suresh who is on the run since being sacked from contractual service in the state IT department after her name cropped up in the smuggling case, is expected to come up before the High Court on Friday. The woman and an alleged accomplice of her are absconding even as an audio clip in which she purportedly claims innocence surfaced.

READ | Kerala Gold Smuggling: MHA permits NIA probe, cites 'implications for national security'

In a related legal development, the consulate's other former employee, R Sarith Kumar, who has been arrested in the case, was produced before the economic offences court in Kochi and sent to the customs department custody for further probe. The state government has removed senior IAS officer M Sivasankar, who was the secretary to the Chief Minister and the IT Principal secretary, following allegations that he had close links with the woman suspect in the case. The official has gone on a year's leave.

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(With agency inputs)