Dubai: A flamboyant Indian expat based in Dubai is a central figure in the ongoing probe into the major gold smuggling case which was carried out primarily in his home state, Kerala.
Faisal Fareed (36), the third accused in the the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case, is an intriguing personality, at least to the sleuths in India. One thing is sure, the person known as Faizi in Dubai has had a roller-coaster life.
On the one hand Fareed is known as a young businessman with a passion for car racing, a luxury-car enthusiast, the owner of a huge gym who shares close relationships with film personalities. Strangely, he is also reportedly someone grappling with a financial crisis with rent arrears and facing four cheque cases.
Sources say he is yet to come out of the financial crisis brought about by slowdown in global economy. The rent arrears for a car workshop he had opened now stand at Rs 2.60 lakh. Some employees of the workshop have not got their full salaries for three months. And he faces four cheque cases over unpaid rents.
Today, he is the custody of Indian Customs and India's anti-terror agency has booked him under a stringent security law.
No links to native land
Fareed's father was a native of Moonupeedika in Thrissur's Kaypamangalam. His family home is at Theparambil near Puthenpalli, 12 km from Kodungallur.
Fareed grew up in Dubai as his father was employed with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). He is reportedly fluent in Arabic and is close to some locals in high society.
Although Fareed completed high school education in Kerala, the family later returned to Dubai. After that, Fareed had no connection worth mentioning with his native land. He had no friendships either in Kerala.
Fareed’s parents, however, shifted back to Kerala when he had some success in business. But he rarely visited them. He would only come to attend ceremonies and would leave immediately after they were over.
An automobile enthusiast, he never bought or used expensive cars in his native place. But, when relatives visited the Gulf, he would arrange big luxury cars for them to travel in.
A little while ago, Fareed took his parents back to Dubai. His father died on March 31 due to COVID-19. He has three younger brothers, who stay in Dubai.
Deals in oil sector
Fareed had a business partnership in Prozone Oilfield and Natural Gas. His visa is in the name of this company. He also had a partnership in a company in Saudi Arabia. But, with the crash in oil prices, the companies faced a serious crisis.
He worked as a salesman for a mobile phone wholesaler until seven years ago. For a long time, he also worked as a PRO for some companies. Meanwhile, he started a car workshop in Al Qusais in Dubai last year. He lived in a villa in Rashidiya, a place that is home to the rich in the Emirati city.
Sarith, film links
Fareed was involved in a business with P S Sarith, the first accused in the gold smuggling case, in Karama, Dubai. Sarith was working in the recovery section at Commercial Bank International when Faisal befriended him and the two then started the venture together.
It is also learnt that Faisal had invested in four Malayalam movies. He also took up distribution of Telugu films. However, he did not put his name in any of these ventures.
Luxury gym amid crisis
Close aides say all of Faisal's businesses suffered financial setbacks since the recession. In the meantime, he started a luxury gym last year in partnership with a few others. Using his close ties in the film industry, he brought Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor to inaugurate the gym by paying a huge amount.
Unprecedented custody
This is the first time in the history of gold smuggling cases registered in Kerala that the Customs is getting the custody of a suspect who has been accused of sending smuggled gold from abroad.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already charged Fareed under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Customs’ file against him has become stronger due to another case registered against him.
Under Section 135 of the Customs Act, the maximum penalty for an accused proven guilty is seven years. However, since Fareed has been charged under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), he could be jailed for up to one year even before the trial starts.
This will come in handy for the NIA in its investigations into the case filed under UAPA.
Under UAPA, an accused can be granted bail if a charge sheet is not filed within 180 days. But, under COFEPOSA, the NIA will get to investigate the case for more than 180 days as the accused will remain in jail for 365 days.
Only those who are found in possession of smuggled gold when they are caught are charged as per the Customs law.
Fake UAE insignia
Investigators suspect that the documents purported to be of the UAE consulate that Fareed had produced for sending gold in diplomatic parcels were fake. The documents neither had the consulate’s seal or signature, investigators have found.
Fake stamps of the consulate were recovered from a bag that officials found at Sarith's house last week.
Customs will question the crew of the Emirates flight in which the diplomatic parcels with smuggled gold arrived and also the UAE consulate staff in the coming days.
The department will record the arrest of Swapna and Sandeep on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, it carried out inquiries at the houses and flats of the accused already arrested in the case.
