Kerala gold smuggling case: ED attaches 30 kg gold, over Rs 14 lakh cash

The Enforcement Directorate attached 30.245 kg of gold which was seized by customs last year from Thiruvananthapuram airport in connection with gold smuggling case.

Ernakulam: The Enforcement Directorate attached 30.245 kg of gold which was seized by customs last year from Thiruvananthapuram airport in connection with gold smuggling case. ED also attached Rs 14.98 lakhs rupees belonging to prime accused P S Sarith.

The ED had earlier attached Rs 1 crore seized from the bank locker of the accused Sarith P S and Swapna Suresh. The central agency, in a statement, said that the accused purchased gold with the illegal money which they earned from smuggling. ED sent notices to nine including Rabins, Abdul PT, Abdul Hameed, Shaijal, Kunju Muhammad, Hamzat Ali, Russell, Ansil and Shamir who had deposited money for gold smuggling.

The ED began probe into the money laundering case, after customs seized gold worth about Rs 15 crore in a diplomatic pouch from Thiruvananthapuram airport in July 2020. They had registered the case under Anti-Money Laundering Act and a charge sheet was also filed against accused Swapna, Sarith, Sandeep and IAS M Shivashankar.

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court granted bail to Swapna, Sarith and Sandeep whereas M Shivashankar was granted bail by Kerala High Court.