Officials of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Kochi, and the Customs units in Kozhikode and Kannur raided the house of Ashraf, a suspect in a gold smuggling case, on Wednesday.
Ashraf, a close ally of Fayaz, one of the key accused in a case of gold smuggling through the Cochin international airport, runs a business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The officials conducted raid on his house at MC Riverside Enclave here and on the house of his in-laws at Thazhe Pookkom, near Panur, on Wednesday morning.
The officials of the three units arrived in five vehicles as early as 6 a.m. The house of Ashraf at Kuyyali remained close when they arrived. The house was searched in the presence of the neighbours who fetched the key.
According to reports, the officials found some papers related to income tax and a photograph of Ashraf and Fayaz from the house.
The officials later raided his in-law’s house near Panur. A marketing firm, G M Marketing on Logans Road, believed to be owned by the suspect, was also raided.
Meanwhile, raids were conducted by the Kannur, Kozhikode, and Thalassery units of the Customs at Kadavathur and New Mahe in connection with the confiscation of 3.5 kg of gold smuggled through air cargo to the Kozhikode international airport at Karipur on September 20. Two persons, K. Musthafa of Kadavathur and Nawas of New Mahe, were arrested in the case.
Nearly 20 kg of gold was seized from two women at the Cochin airport on September 19. The women gave information about a racket involving Fayaz, who was later arrested at the New Delhi airport while leaving for the UAE on September 22.
