: Officials of the Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch of Customs at Cochin International airport probing gold smuggling through the airport arrested three more persons on Monday.
The arrested were identified as Mohammed Rafeeq, 30, a ground handling employee at the airport, hailing from Kalady, Shamal, 24, of Payyannur in Kannur, a ground handling staff with Bird Worldwide Flight Services (BWFS) and Hamsa, 48, a middle-man based in Vengara, Kozhikode district.
During interrogation, they confessed to operating as members of the gold smuggling racket and facilitating the smuggling of about 300 kg of gold through the airport’s domestic terminal.
The arrested were produced in the court and remanded in judicial custody till June 22.
So far, 23 people including a jeweller from Muvattupuzha have been arrested in this connection.
Meanwhile, sources hinted at the involvement of a much bigger racket that have its roots in northern Kerala and said more arrests are likely in the coming days.
