Gold smuggling case: IT department investigates accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair

Kochi, Ta. 14 July 2020, Tuesday

Income tax officials have reached the Kochi office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to interrogate the accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case. It is learned that the main accused in the case, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, are being questioned. The NIA court has remanded accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair in eight-day NIA custody in the gold smuggling case.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Swapna Suresh, Fazil Farid and Sandeep Nair as accused in the case. An FIR has been registered by the NIA against the three accused under the Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act, 1967. The accused finalized the crime by tampering with the seal and political symbol of the UAE embassy for gold smuggling. The gold was to be used not for making jewelry but for terrorist activities.

A case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (PMLA) against Swapna Suresh, a woman who was trying to smuggle gold through diplomatic goods, the National Investigation Agency told the Kerala High Court.

The investigating agency has registered a case against Swapna Suresh, R Sarit Kumar, Fazil Farid and others under the PMLA. Earlier on Saturday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that an inquiry would be held into the alleged bogus degree certificate received by Swapna Suresh, the main woman accused in the gold smuggling case, for appointment in a government project.