Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it has arrested four more persons for providing funds for procuring and smuggling gold in connection with the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case, officials said.
The agency also carried out searches at six locations in Kerala's Malappuram and Kozhikode districts earlier in the day. An NIA spokesperson in Delhi said it has arrested four more people -- Mohamed Anwar T.M., Hamzath Abdu Salam aka Kunjumon, Samju T.M. and Hamjad Ali -- after their roles in conspiracy and pursuant smuggling of gold through diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram surfaced during investigation. They were arrested on Thursday.
The spokesperson said that the arrests were made on the basis of the revelations made by the arrested accused Jalal A.M., Mohammad Shafi, Said Alavi and Abdu P.T. The spokesperson said that during the custodial interrogation of the earlier arrested accused it was revealed that Mohamed Anwar T.M., Salam, Samju T.M. and Ali provided funds for procuring and smuggling gold into India.
The official said that the agency carried out searches at the premises of the arrested accused at six locations in Malappuram and Kozhikode districts and seized several digital devices and incriminating documents. So far, NIA has arrested 20 accused in the case. Further investigation in the case is on.
Earlier this week, a two-member team of NIA led by an SP-level officer had gone to Dubai to question Fazil Fareed and a couple of others who have been taken into custody by the UAE authorities. The NIA took over the case last month.
The gold smuggling case first surfaced when P.S. Sarith, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Kerala, was arrested by the Customs on July 5 when he was allegedly trying to facilitate the smuggling of 30 kgs of gold at the airport in Thiruvananthapuram through diplomatic baggage from Dubai. Key accused Swapna Suresh and co-accused Sandeep Nair of Kochi were arrested by the NIA from Bengaluru after the case was handed over to the agency.