ED attaches properties worth Rs 1.8 cr in 2013 gold smuggling case
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 1.84 crore in a gold smuggling case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The attached immovable properties are in the form of a residential house, an apartment and land in Kerala’s Kozhikode in the name of P C Sabana wife of Faiz T K, Subair Y M and Abdul Rahim.
The attached movable properties are in the form of Fixed Deposit in the name of Ashraf Kallunkal in Federal Bank Ltd, Kozhikode Branch.
The ED registered a case on the basis of an FIR filed by CBI and chargesheet filed against C. Madhavan, former Deputy Commissioner Customs, P.P. Sunil Kumar, Faiz T K, Kallunkal, Subair Y M and Abdul Rahim and others.
According to ED, on March 19, 2013, two lady carriers namely Arifa Haris and Asifa Veera were apprehended by Customs authorities and 20 kg gold was recovered from them.
The two ladies had illegally carried 56 kg of gold from Dubai to Cochin during August-September, 2013.
The ED said that these gold consignments were sent by Faiz T K using his contacts with Customs Officers for one Kallunkal who is a prominent businessman of Kerala.
According to CBI charge sheet, by smuggling of gold worth Rs 17.86 crore, there was a wrongful loss on account of non-payment of Customs duty which was Rs 1.83 crore (10 per cent Customs duty and 3 per cent cess).
“The money trail investigation carried out by ED revealed that Faiz and Kallunkal were the masterminds behind the gold smuggling. Faiz picked the lady carriers staying in Dubai with their family, who were in need of money and executed the smuggling,” the official said.
The official further said that Kallunkal was the main investor in the gold purchase and smuggled the same to India with the help of Faiz, who has good relationship with many prominent persons in Kerala.
“Kallunkal and Faiz had accumulated the profit in Dubai and later transferred the same to their accounts in India. The proceeds of crime were placed in the form of immovable and movable properties,” the official said.
Money trail has also revealed the role of Rahim, a resident of Calicut and Subair Y M, brother of Kallunkal.
“Subair was the recipient of gold on behalf of his brother Kallunkal and also benefitted,” the official said.