Kochi: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key member of the gold smuggling racket run by Fayaz, a native of Mahe.
The arrested was Ashraf Kallingal, 42, a resident of Thalassery and 15th accused in the case.
Based on a tip-off from Interpol, the officials nabbed him on his arrival at the Kochi airport around 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Investigations so far have revealed that Ashraf, a businessman in Dubai, had made huge investments for purchasing gold from Dubai, which were smuggled through various airports and sold to gold jewellers in Kerala.
The CBI, which took up the probe in 2013, had issued a look-out notice against the accused. The investigation hit a blockade owing to the delay in arresting Ashraf, who had been residing in Dubai. ‘‘We are now hopeful of eliciting more information about the racket’s operation, who funded its operation,’’ officials said.
18/11/15 The Hindu
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The arrested was Ashraf Kallingal, 42, a resident of Thalassery and 15th accused in the case.
Based on a tip-off from Interpol, the officials nabbed him on his arrival at the Kochi airport around 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Investigations so far have revealed that Ashraf, a businessman in Dubai, had made huge investments for purchasing gold from Dubai, which were smuggled through various airports and sold to gold jewellers in Kerala.
The CBI, which took up the probe in 2013, had issued a look-out notice against the accused. The investigation hit a blockade owing to the delay in arresting Ashraf, who had been residing in Dubai. ‘‘We are now hopeful of eliciting more information about the racket’s operation, who funded its operation,’’ officials said.
18/11/15 The Hindu
