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Accused in Kerala gold smuggling case held by NIA
Suresh, the officials cited above said, was traced to the hotel in BTA Layout in Bengaluru along with her family. She is currently being questioned under ‘detention’, the officials said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday detained Swapna Prabha Suresh, the main accused in the Thiruvananthapuram airport gold smuggling case, from a hotel in Bengaluru, officials said.
The move has come a day after the agency filed a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Suresh, the officials cited above said, was traced to the hotel in BTA Layout in Bengaluru along with her family. She is currently being questioned under ‘detention’, the officials said.
Suresh was absconding since the gold consignment was seized at the airport on July 5.
Suresh is likely to be formally arrested “very soon”, an official familiar with the development said.
Apart from Suresh, the agency has also detained Sandeep Nair, another accused in the case, from Bengaluru.
The central agency had named Suresh, Nair and two others – Sarith and Fazil -- in its FIR registered in connection with the seizure of 30 kg of 24 carat gold worth Rs 14.82 crore by Customs on July 5 purportedly found in baggage meant for UAE’s consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
The agency has said that the matter pertains to “national security” and hence the UAPA law has been invoked in the FIR.
The Kerala high court had on Friday deferred Suresh’s bail application.
She was working as the operational manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited under the state IT Ministry.
In a statement on Friday, the NIA had said that the consignment was camouflaged in diplomatic baggage from UAE that is exempted from inspection as per the Vienna Convention.
“As the case pertains to smuggling of large quantity of gold into India from offshore locations threatening the economic stability and national security of the country, it amounts to a terrorist act as stated in section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” NIA said.
The statement added that the case has national and international linkages and the initial enquiries have revealed that the proceeds of smuggled gold could be used for financing terrorism in India.
