Kerala gold smuggling case: Accused have links to D-Company, says NIA

Dawood Ibrahim. Pic/PTI.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted in the special NIA Court at Kochi in the Kerala Gold Smuggling Case that it suspects that the accused have links to Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company.

This was submitted as a response to the bail petitions of the seven accused in the case.

"Accused Ramees KT and Sharafudheen had travelled to Tanzania and visited shops in the African country where guns are sold. In Tanzania, Rameez attempted to procure a licence for the diamond business. He later smuggled gold to the UAE," the NIA prosecutor said.

"From the UAE, he brought gold to Kerala. Tanzania and Dubai are the main places where the D-company is active. In fact, D-company's affairs in Tanzania are handled by a South Indian named Firoz Oasis. We suspect Rameez's links with D-company. Rameez was caught by the Customs in November 2019 for smuggling 13 .22 mm bore rifles. This happened when the gold smuggling was taking place."

NIA informed the court that they had also retrieved a photo of the accused Sharafudheen holding a rifle in Tanzania.

The matter had come to light after 30 kg gold worth u00e2u0082u00b914.82 crores smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.

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