A day after 30 kg gold, valued at Rs 15 crore, was seized at Thiruvananthapuram airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate-General here, a local resident who had earlier worked with the Consulate-General’s office as a public relations officer was arrested by the Customs and a woman employee of the state IT Department was dismissed from service on Monday.
It was for the first time in India that the customs seized 30 kgs of gold from Diplomatic baggage
Swapna Suresh, who worked as a marketing manager with Space Park, under the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL), was terminated from service. Swapna, who had also worked at the Consulate earlier as executive secretary, is reportedly absconding and Customs officials have examined her apartment in the city. The UAE Consulate General office has disowned the cargo and “promised to cooperate with the investigation”, Customs Commissioner Sumith Kumar said. With Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan holding the IT portfolio, Opposition Congress and BJP alleged that the CM’s Office (CMO) has links with the gold smuggling racket.
