Kerala gold smuggling case : 2 key people arrested

After six days on the run, Swapna nabbed in Bengaluru

credit : Daijiworld

New Delhi : Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the sensational bid to smuggle in 30 kg of gold using the UEA consulate’s diplomatic baggage on July 5 and whose alleged connections with some of Kerala’s movers and shakers has roiled the state’s political scene, was detained along with her accomplice Sandeep Nair by National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Swapna, a former secretary at the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram and later

an executive with Kerala’s information technology department, was on the run ever

since the smuggling bid was foiled by Customs at the Trivandrum International Airport last Sunday. Her associate Sarith P S, a former PRO at the UAE consulate, was arrested but Swapna along with other accused Fazil Fareed and Sarith’s brother Sandeep Nair couldn’t be traced.

“Accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair have been detained in the Kerala gold smuggling case. They are being examined and will be arrested in due course. They have been detained from BTM Layout in Bengaluru,” NIA said in an official statement late on Saturday.

According to NIA sources, Swapna and Sandeep had reportedly arrived in Bengaluru by road and kept shifting locations to avoid detection.

 

video credit : TimesNow

Sandeep’s call revealed his location

The sleuths had initially traced their location to a hotel near the international airport but they moved out and checked into a hotel in Bengaluru’s Koramangala area on

Friday night.

There were two minor children with them. On Saturday, Sandeep had visited the central business district and checked room availability in different hotels.

“We suspect that the two reached the city a couple of days back by road; we detained them when they were travelling back to the hotel from CBD,” sources in Bengaluru said. “Swapna initially refused to speak saying her advocate will speak to police. However, NIA sleuths from Kochi spoke to her and explained in detail that they (NIA) have every right to question her and it is her duty to answer. Now, the two have been taken to an isolated place for questioning,” sources added.

Stay tuned for more details.