NEW DELHI: Officials of the Special Investigation and Intelligence branch of the Customs at Cochin International airport probing gold smuggling through CIAL on Monday arrested an airline official in this connection. The arrested was identified as Sinuraj, a native of Mukkom in Kozhikode, who had been working at CIAL as a customer security executive with the Indigo airline.
During interrogation, he confessed to operating as member of the gold smuggling racket and facilitating the smuggling of about 14 kg of gold through the airport’s domestic terminal. He was produced in the court in the evening and remanded in judicial custody. Sinuraj had been working with the airline since 2014. He was arrested after being summoned to the office.
Meanwhile, officials have expanded the search for five persons wanted in this connection to outside the State. They have been identified as Saifdueen, Ismail, Asiq Tutu and Febin of Muvattupuzha and Aslam Vavnachan of Kochi. It is alleged that they smuggled hundreds of kilos of gold into the State with the support of Noushad and airport staff. When the Customs officials started the hunt for the accused, they had gone into hiding with the support of their families.
The accused had often visited foreign destinations and had brought in gold on their return, the officials said, adding that among the accused Ashiq, Aslam and Febin have direct connections with the kingpin Noushad and his accomplice Fasil, who went underground after Noushad’s arrest. “We have confirmed report that they have moved to other parts of the country’’, he said.
