Thiruvananthapuram: The fake degree certificate that Swapna Suresh, one of the main accused in the gold smuggling case, had presented to get a job in a Kerala government project was prepared by an entity called Dev Education Trust in Punjab, the police have found.

She got the fake B.Com certificate through Education Guidance Centre, which was functioning at Thycaud in Thiruvananthapuram, by paying an amount of about Rs 1 lakh. The police are trying to trace the owners of the closed establishment and include them as accused in the case. Swapna received a salary of Rs 19.2 lakh after entering the job that was obtained with the fake certificate.

Swapna, who has only Class X qualification, produced the fake certificate to get a job through a private consultancy at Space Park under the IT department.

The fake B.Com Certificate had the name of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University in Lonere, Maharashtra.

Swapna's appointment at Space Park became controversial after she was arrested in the Trivandrum Airport diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the university did not offer a course in B.Com.

The university also confirmed that the certificate was forged. The group perpetrating the scam had also created a fake website in the name of the university to attest the fake certificate.

Gold worth Rs 15 crore and weighing 30 kg was seized from a diplomatic baggage at the Trivandrum Airport in July.