: The police on Monday detained four persons, including two police sub-inspectors, who attempted to smuggle gold through the Cochin airport, under provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA).
The arrested persons are identified as Ijaz Abdulla of Kasaragod, Abdul Rashid of Kalady, E.V. Manu and R. Krishna Kumar of Kollam, said the police officials who were on deputation at the immigration wing of Cochin International Airport Limited. The action, based on reports from the Central Bureau of Investigation, Kochi, and the Customs Commissioner, Kochi, enables the authorities to keep them under preventive custody for up to one year without trail.
On an order from the COFEPOSA board, harbour police detained Manu and Krishnakumar from Kochi on Monday. The duo was detained from the Customs House Cochin in Willingdon Island.
The four persons were later shifted to the Central Prison in Poojappura.
The case pertains to the seizure of four kilograms of gold from Ijas, who landed here from Dubai by an Air India flight on January 14. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ijas had been carrying the contraband for Rashid, a travel agent.
A detailed probe by the customs department also pointed to the role of immigration officials in the racket, who picked up the bag from the carrier and removed safely out of the airport before handing it over to Rashid.
The sleuths also found that Ijas was a habitual offender and had allegedly transported 14 kilograms of gold on two occasions before this.
