Kochi: Thiruvavanthapuram gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh wielded considerable influence in the corridors of power, the economic offences court hearing the case has said.
The court made the observation while dismissing the bail petitions of Swapna and another accused Sayed Alavi, a Malappuram native.
The Customs, which made the gold seizure on July 5, argued in court that bail should not be granted to the accused as they were influential and could easily tamper with the evidence. The agency also said Swapna’s influence could come in the way of a fair investigation and the usual legal leniency extended to women in Customs cases should not be given to Swapna.
The Customs argued that Swapna was part of the government machinery and even managed to secure a job with her deep-rooted connection to power centres. She continued to ‘help’ the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram even after formally exiting it as an employee. The Customs lawyer said this was adequate to substantiate Swapna’s level of influence.
The court observed that if not for Swapna Suresh, the gold smuggling through the airport would not have happened.
The prosecution said Swapna Suresh could travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi by road when a strict triple lockdown was in place in the state capital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They argued that Swapna then travelled to Bengaluru with Sandeep Nair, another accused, and she was never stopped at any check-posts. The court also accepted these arguments.
The court said Sayed Alavi was seeking bail on health grounds but he had not presented the supporting documents. The February 20 health report said his health was satisfactory. The court said the jail authorities should ensure that the jail cell housing Sayed Alavi should be sanitized so that he accused is not ‘infected.’ The jail superintendent should monitor his health condition.
The Customs, which made the initial seizure on July 5, could not make much headway as National Investigation Agency (NIA) stepped in and secured the custody of the accused. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also came into the picture, further delaying access to the accused for the Customs.
The agencies believe that the accused, including Swapna Suresh, Sandeep, and Sarith smuggled in gold through the Thiruvananthapuram international airport multiple times. The NIA was investigating if the gold was used to fund terror-related activity, especially recruitment, in the country.
