Swapna, Sarith welcomed overseas delegates arriving for IT dept events in Kochi 

Kochi: The two main accused in the gold smuggling case that has become a hot political issue in Kerala had welcomed delegates who had arrived for two grandiose events organised in Kochi by the state IT department.

The accused Swapna Suresh and her accomplice P S Sarith Kumar had visited the Cochin International Airport to receive participants. The central intelligence agencies are looking into reports in this regard. The list of participants who had come through the green channel without any checks are being vetted as the probe into the sensational week-old case picks up.  

Dignitaries of the state government as well as the invitees of diplomatic missions are allowed to check out without any Customs clearance.

Investigators said they have information that the duo had arrived at the airport to receive oversees delegates who were attending the 'Kochi Design Week' and ‘#Future’, a global digital conclave, which were organised under the supervision of former Kerala IT Secretary M Sivasankar, already sacked over his links to Swapna.

Swapna is on the run after a bid to sneak in gold through a diplomatic baggage belonging to the UAE Consulate in Kerala's capital was busted last weekend. Sarith has been already arrested over the same case. Both were former employees of the diplomatic mission. Swapna, who was raised in the UAE, had later joined an undertaking of the Kerala IT department.
Both are reportedly friends.

The investigators have obtained information that Swapna and Sarith had attended the Design Week event held at Bolgatty Palace from December 12 to 14 in 2019. Following this, they decided to look into the #Future conclave that was held on March 22-23 in 2018 at the Le Meridian Hotel.

Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella had addressed the conclave.

The events, which were inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, were criticised for excluding various government departments, including the industries department, and senior government officials.

Swapna was an employee of the Space Park under the IT department when the Design Week was held. When the #Future conclave was organised both friends were employees of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sarith had worked at the consulate as a PRO, but he was dismissed from service. Swapna was expelled by the IT department  soon after her name figured in the smuggling case.  

The Customs officials stationed at the Trivandrum International Airport had detected the smuggling operations on July 5 when it found about 30 kg gold worth about Rs 15 crore in a diplomatic baggage addressed to an official at the UAE Consulate. It suspects Sarith and Swapna to be among the key players in the racket.

Officials at the UAE Consulate said Sarith was given the contract to deal with parcels arriving at the airport in the names of employees of the consulate.

He had visited the Trivandrum airport along with the consulate employee to whom the baggage was addressed, and had threatened Customs officials when they had refused to release the parcel. He was later arrested.

After his arrest, he had told the investigators that Swapna was a friend.