Kochi: The gold smuggling gang directed by Sandeep Nair took recourse to diplomatic channels for regularly carrying out its operations after a successful dry run. Emergency light, candies and dates were initially placed in a diplomatic parcel sent from Dubai to ascertain the possibility of getting caught.
The test was conducted in June last year and with the success of the experiment, the team embarked on a well-planned, long-term project to smuggle gold. It had likely smuggled 200 kg gold till the racket was exposed by the Customs on July 5 at the Trivandrum International Airport.
70 kg gold arrived during lockdown
The gang smuggled 3.5 kg gold in June itself, followed by 5 kg and 7 kg two times each. One of the suspects, Mohammad Shafi, made two trips each to first bring in 42 kg gold and then 26 kg, according to the statements obtained by the Customs.
The gang’s largest parcel of 30 kg was the one seized by the department on July 5. It had brought 70 kg gold, including the seized consignment, in three parcels during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
It is estimated the gang had smuggled 200 kg gold in all in about 20 parcels. The Customs Department, however, does not completely believe this statement, said sources.
How the racket was founded
K T Ramees and Sandeep Nair, both arrested after the Customs catch, have known each other for a long time. They were co-accused in a smuggling case in which 3.5 kg gold was seized at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in 2014.
It was Sandeep who came up with the idea of using the diplomatic channel to smuggle gold. The gang started planning to try this out in May 2019.
Sandeep also knew Sarith, the first accused in the latest smuggling case, as the two had previously worked together in a private company. Sandeep was introduced to Swapna through Sarith. The gang misused the contacts Swapna had at the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram to smuggle gold.
Jalaal Muhammed, a Muvattupuzha native, got into the gang through Ramees and Jalaal roped in Faisal Fareed, who is based in Dubai. The gang met at flats and hotels in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss their plans.
Modus operandi
Sandeep would collect the money for gold smuggling and send it through the hawala route to Faisal.
Faisal would then buy the gold, hide it in a parcel that would be addressed to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. He would forge the authorisation letter of the consulate to send the parcel, sources said.
In the initial stages, Sarith used to directly collect the parcels when he was working as the PRO at the consulate. After he lost the job, he would show the ‘authorisation document’ to collect the parcels.
The Customs, however, does not believe that all the documents shown to send and receive the parcels were forged.
Lakhs in reward
According to Sarith’s statement to Customs officials, he was initially paid a few tens of thousands rupees to help the gang. But the reward increased to Rs 4-5 lakh later.
Rs 10 lakh was the latest offer for him and Swapna, Sarith said.
It is not clear how much Ramees, Jalaal, Sandeep and Faisal made from the smuggling operations.
Hawala crowdfunding
Sandeep, Ramees and Jalaal approached hawala dealers to find the money for smuggling gold. The dealers agreed to join the operations after the gang showed them and explained to them the documents they had used for the experiment.
More operators approached the gang after it successfully smuggled the first shipment. The amount of gold being smuggled increased and so did the profits the gang made.
Seven of those who put their money in the smuggling racket have already been arrested. They had raised the money from many others. Customs officials believe that the 'investor' list will reveal more names.
Officials said that Ramees, Jalaal, Swapna, Sandeep, Sarit and Faisal did not put their own money in the operations. They, however, pocketed the rewards after each successful smuggling operation.
Political link unlikely
Investigators said they have so far not found any political link to the smuggling racket.
