Thiruvananthapuram, May 24 (IANS): Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials on Friday arrested a customs official in Kerala over his alleged role in facilitating smuggling of gold.

The DRI arrested Customs Superintendent V. Radhakrishnan after establishing that the maximum smuggling of gold took place when his team of officials was on duty at Trivandrum International Airport.

The DRI also arrested an accountant of a gold shop here and the two were remanded to judicial custody.

For the past six months, the DRI was keeping a close tab on the airport and earlier this month, two people who arrived from Oman were nabbed for carrying 25 kg gold worth Rs 8 crore.

Following the arrest of the two persons, the DRI team learnt about the involvement of a lawyer couple.

While the husband continues to be on the run, the DRI picked up his wife and on questioning identified the other people involved in the racket which included the customs official.