Kochi trader netted by DRI over mega gold smuggling

Mumbai/Kochi: Another Keralite has been arrested by the Mumbai wing of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) over a major smuggling case in which over 4 ton gold worth at least Rs 1,473 crore was imported from the Gulf in the last few years. As many as 18 persons are already under arrest in the case which is deemed to be the largest gold smuggling carried out across India's borders at least in recent times. The importers had produced documents claiming to bring in brass scrap but landed gold at a port in Gujarat before the consignments were shipped to Mumbai and Kerala.

Siraj V Easa Khan (40), a Keralite businessman was taken in from Broadway, Kochi, by the DRI squad which arrived from Mumbai.

Siraj is a resident of Vettikkal House, Swamippadi, Elamakkara in Kochi. Siraj’s arrest took place when he reached his house after landing at Coimbatore airport from Dubai on January 29. He was subsequently remanded by a court in Mumbai. DRI intends to take him in custody for further interrogation.

DRI claims Siraj is a key member of the international gold smuggling racket reportedly controlled by a few men from Perumbavoor, close to Kochi. It is estimated that 4,522 kg gold was brought in from the Middle East between 2017 January and 2019 March.

The prime accused in the case is also a Kerala native - Nissar P Aliyar of Perumbavoor. DRI sleuths in Mumbai had arrested him earlier.

DRI has meanwhile launched a search for Muhammed Asif and Muhammed Fazil, two other Keralites who were the accomplices of Siraj and Nissar. According to the DRI, Siraj had invested crores of rupees in the smuggling racket and also helped Asif in this regard.

Siraj had reportedly fled to the Gulf as the probe commenced. His Kochi establishment, named Crescent, is suspected to be a front for carrying out gold smuggling. It is located on Broadway, the prime commercial centre in the heart of Kochi.

The racket was unearthed when Nissar and some accomplices were nabbed with 170 kg of gold in Mumbai on March 29 last year. An investigation revealed that the gang had smuggled 4,522 kg of gold into the country between January 2017 and March 2019.

The gang’s modus operandi was to buy gold in Dubai, coat it with brass and ship the contraband in containers to Mundra port in Gujarat. The containers were then taken to Jamnagar and the gold later transported secretly to Mumbai and Kerala. Along with the Keralites, several persons belonging to Gujarat were members of the gang.

The DRI’s probe also identified Chola Gold as the establishment in Dubai that had sold the gold to the gang.