Daijiworld Media Network - Kozhikode (SD)

Kozhikode, Sep 30: An air passenger was nabbed with 40 grams of smuggled gold concealed in his N-95 mask. The Air Intelligence Unit of the Kozhikode airport arrested the passenger at the Kozhikode International Airport located in Karipur. The passenger had flown from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The passenger is said to be a native of Bhatkal. Reports stated that smuggled gold worth nearly Rs two lac was retrieved from the passenger.

The international airports at Calicut and Thiruvananthapuram have regularly reported incidents of gold smuggling. In a similar incident in early September, a passenger who had flown from Saudi Arabia was caught by the Air Intelligence Unit for trying to conceal gold worth Rs 40 lac in a pressure cooker. Within two days of the incident, the customs department at Karipur airport seized one kg of gold.

With numerous similar incidences, controversy sparked over Kerala's ruling party after high profile gold smuggling came to light amid the pandemic when a diplomatic baggage sent from the UAE was found to have smuggled gold.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned various key persons including minority affairs minister KT Jaleel. Later, Jaleel was probed about his links with Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram and one of the main accused in the case.