Kozhikode: A day after an NRI businessman named Shafi was kidnapped from his home in Thamarasseri here by four masked abductors, police said that they suspect problems arising out of hawala deals between him and the group might be the reason for the kidnapping.
Police said Shafi, who is a Dubai-based businessman, was part of a gold smuggling gang in Saudi Arabia. Two people, who were under police custody on Saturday in connection with the abduction, were questioned till 3 am on Sunday by Rural SP Karuppasamy, Manorama News reported.
Senior police officers are currently stationed at Thamarasseri for the investigation, the report said.
This is reportedly the fourth abduction from the Thamarasseri, Koduvalli area in connection with such deals, police sources said. Investigators are extending their search to 'quotation gangs' in the area too, to find Shafi.
The abductors, who reached Shafi's home around 9 pm on Friday, tried to abduct both him and his wife Seniya.
However, Seniya, who escaped with minor injuries, said she was thrown out of the car as they couldn't lock its door. The cops had suspected financial deals as a reason behind the incident, right from the beginning, as Shafi had earlier filed a complaint against a few people for threatening him. Shafi's phone's location was detected last around Lakkidi area, and the search is still on for him.
