Kochi: Investigators didn’t have to think twice as they stumbled upon ‘Molly’ on the contact list of Kochi-native Mohammed Anoop, arrested in Bengaluru.
For, Molly is the codename for popular recreational drug Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ‘ecstasy.’ The ‘Molly’ number turned out to be that of KT Ramees, an accused in the sensational Thiruvananthapuram airport gold smuggling case.
Investigating agencies think Ramees sought cash from Bengaluru-based drug rackets as he and other accused seized an ‘opportunity’ to smuggle in gold through diplomatic channels at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
Some of the accused had said in their statements to investigators that the gold smuggling information could have leaked from operatives in the drug racket.
Ramees had burnt one of his three mobile phones after three accused, Swapna Suresh, PS Sarith, and Sandeep Nair, got arrested. The other two phones had been turned in to the Customs. He had no specific answer to queries on why just one phone was destroyed.
It is also suspected that Ramees had given drugs to Sarith and Swapna. Former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister M Sivasankar had also told investigators that he suspected that Swapna occasionally gave him drug-laced liquor.
The investigating agencies are looking at how Swpana, arrested from Bengaluru on July 10, and D Anikha, arrested on drug charges on August 21, came to wear almost identical garments of the same maker. They were examining if it was more than mere coincidence. Agencies were looking at the lead that Mohammed Anoop ran a garment business in Bengaluru.
Sources said Ramees had visited Tanzania with Anikha’s husband, a native of Nigeria. Investigating agencies were trying to establish the links between the gold smuggling accused and the operatives of the drug racket.
Bineesh Kodiyeri link
As per official records, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh Kodiyeri is the director of Bengaluru-based financial firm B-Capital.
He had earlier stated that such a company was non-existent. Anas Valiyaparambath, a Dharmadam native, was another director of the firm.
B-Capital had bankrolled the hotel enterprise of Mohammed Anoop. The accused in custody had told investigators that the drug deals were sealed in this hotel. B-Capital was founded in 2015 but the audited financial results, annual report, or any other financial transactions are not available.
