KOCHI: More skeletons are likely to tumble out of the cupboards of gold smuggling syndicate based in Muvattupuzha as the Customs which is investigating the gold flow into the Cochin International Airport has found that the kingpin of the syndicate Noushad of Muvattupuzha has pan India connections and a strong network in Dubai as well, the place from where he had sourced bulk of two tonne gold he had smuggled into the state in collusion with airport staff.
He is a notorious criminal and has strong roots not only in various states but also other countries. The main obstacle the Customs is facing in the probe is the studied silence of the kingpin on matters related to his network and operations.
Even as his accomplices shared every information they possess in connection with the smuggling with the officials, he still remains tightlipped on his network and mode of operations in other parts of the country, said officials.
Though Jabin Basheer, former emigration officer at Cochin International Airport Limited, who was arrested by Customs on Sunday for smuggling in over 1,500 kg of gold, and 31 other accomplices, they hardly have any information on his networks and pan-India operations. And the only positive response the officials have received from his side is that he had admitted the confession of other accused when the officials quizzed him in the light of the new evidence received from his accomplices.
The Customs is also on the trail of two other key members of the racket, Fasil Muvattupuzha, brother of Salim Muvattupuzha, who was arrested by the Customs earlier, and Faisal P A of Muvattupuzha, who are absconding ever since Noushad was arrested.
The Customs have received details of the hideout of one of the two absconding members and he is believed to have sought refuge in Kathumandu in Nepal,where he had earlier served one year imprisonment after being caught for smuggling gold, said officials.
The Customs will get the real picture of the network of Noushad only if they are arrested and the officials have also hinted that they have laid a trap for them.
Meanwhile, the ‘New Indian Express’ report on the terror funding of the syndicate has put the Customs officials on the back-foot on Monday with Customs Commissioner K N Raghavan on Tuesday saying that they would probe only the economic offence related to the crime and they have not shared any information with the national agencies to this effect as they have not received any vital information in this connection.
