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CBI may probe smuggling of gold

It was exposed when 25 kg of gold was seized from the bags of Sunil and Serina Shaji when they came out of the airport after checking on May 13.

Thiruvananthapuram: CBI may take over the investigation into the gold smuggling through the airport here after the involvement of customs officials came to light.

The link was established with the arrest of customs superintendent V. Radhakrishnan by the DRI on Friday after they found that the maximum quantity of smuggling of gold took place when his team of officials was on duty.

It was exposed when 25 kg of gold was seized from the bags of Sunil and Serina Shaji when they came out of the airport after checking on May 13.

The sleuths later found that Serena had travelled to and from Dubai and Kerala six times. The investigating officers after examining the visuals could establish that Radhakrishnan, who is the air intelligence superintendent of the air customs unit, was on duty whenever Serena flew in at the X-ray scanning system

Apart from him, they questioned two inspectors of customs and raided their homes along with that of Radhakrishnan. These officials were on duty at the airport on May 13.

They also arrested Rashid, an accountant of a private firm in the city that bought gold from smugglers.

Two days after the arrest of Kumar and Sareena, they arrested one more woman, Vineetha Kumari, who was suspected to be part of the gang involved in the smuggling.

Ms Kumari is the wife of Biju Manohar, a lawyer and main suspect still on the run, along with Hakkim, the owner of the firm that bought the gold and other accused Vishnu and Jithu.

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