NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key member of the gold smuggling racket run by Fayaz, a native of Mahe.
The arrested was Ashraf Kallingal, 42, a resident of Thalassery and 15th accused in the case.
Based on a tip-off from Interpol, the officials nabbed him on his arrival at the Kochi airport around 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Investigations so far have revealed that Ashraf, a businessman in Dubai, had made huge investments for purchasing gold from Dubai, which were smuggled through various airports and sold to gold jewellers in Kerala.
The CBI, which took up the probe in 2013, had issued a look-out notice against the accused. The investigation hit a blockade owing to the delay in arresting Ashraf, who had been residing in Dubai. ‘‘We are now hopeful of eliciting more information about the racket’s operation, who funded its operation,’’ officials said.
Ashraf was produced before the CBI court which remanded him to judicial custody till November 27. The CBI has sought his custody for three days as part of the investigation.
Earlier this month, the CBI had arrested Mohammed Marshi Bin Majeed alias Marshi, 29, a native of Kannur and 10th accused in the case, from the New Delhi airport. The CBI had earlier found that he had monitored the movement of gold carriers by accompanying them and facilitated the handing over of smuggled metal outside the airport.
Operation of the smuggling racket came to light with the seizure of 20 kg of gold bars worth Rs.6 crore from two women, Asifa and Arifa, at the Kochi airport on September 19. Fayaz was later arrested from the New Delhi airport on September 22 when he arrived to leave for Dubai.
The case was handed over to the CBI after preliminary investigations revealed the role of Customs Deputy Commissioner C. Madhavan and two other preventive officers in the smuggling operations.
