Thamarassery: "We smuggled 325 kilograms of gold from Saudi Arabia," the missing NRI businessman Muhammad Shafi, who was abducted by a group of men last week, said in a video released on Thursday.

In the video, the expat states that he and his brother pilfered and smuggled 325 kg gold worth Rs 80 crore from Saudi.

“I was abducted for a share of the Rs 80 crore,” he added while requesting authorities to rescue him.

He did not however, mention the name of the abductors in the video. The police suspect that Shafi was threatened into doing the video by his abductors.

Shafi, an expatriate based in Thamarassery was abducted from his home on April 7. His wife, Seniya, who was also captured was pushed out of the car barely 150 metres from their house.

Seniya said the abductors arrived in a white Maruti Swift with their faces covered. Some parts of the weapons used by the group were found from the couples' courtyard.

Part of hawala transactions

The police had received information that Shafi and his abductors were involved in hawala transactions. The police uncovered the role of a gold smuggling gang in the abduction while questioning two persons in the custody of the investigation team.