A Malappuram native who was arrested in connection with the Karipur gold smuggling case has given a statement before the Customs Department stating the role played by Arjun Ayanki, a former member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), and others involved in it.
Mohammed Shafeeque Melathil, who was held for smuggling 2.3 kg of gold worth ₹1.11 crore concealed in a coffeemaker on arrival from Dubai on June 21, said the gold seized from him was arranged through a man named Saleem, whose whereabouts were not known to him.
Custody sought
As directed by Saleem, two men approached him in Dubai and handed over a carton and a trolley bag containing the coffeemaker in which the gold cylinder was concealed, said the petition submitted by the Superintendent of Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence) on Friday, seeking custody of Shafeeque for 10 days. The court asked the official to produce the accused on Monday.
Shafeeque told the Customs that he was introduced to Saleem by a man identified as Mohammed, who in turn was introduced to him by Arjun. He was directed to hand over the bag containing the gold to a person who would contact him outside the Karipur airport.
Later, Arjun told him to change his shirt on reaching the airport and said that he would be waiting outside the airport. The accused admitted that he was offered ₹40,000 and an air ticket to Karipur for the smuggling act, according to the petition.
Customs notice
The Customs said the accused had connections with interstate smuggling rackets and the present incident was only the tip of the iceberg. The Customs issued a notice to Arjun to appear for questioning on June 28.
Five Palakkad natives were killed at Ramanattukara on the Kozhikode-Malappuram border in a suspected case of car chase involving two smuggling rackets connected to the case. Since the accident, Arjun had switched off his phone and gone into hiding. He later posted on Facebook that he would cooperate with the investigation.
(With inputs from Kasaragod bureau)
