The Central Excise and Customs has slapped a penalty of ₹38 lakh on Karat Faizal, a member of the Koduvally municipal council, who has alleged been involved in gold smuggling through the Calicut airport.
Six others have also been slapped with penalties in an adjudication order issued by the Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise, Kozhikode, official sources said here on Tuesday.
Mr. Faizal was in the news recently when CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan used his luxury car during the CPI(M)’s Janajagratha Yatra.
He is a councillor belonging to the National Secular Conference led by P.T.A. Rahim, a Left-supported legislator representing the Kunnamangalm Assembly segment.
Sources said the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had busted a gold smuggling racket after they nabbed Air India Express flight attendant V.S. Hiromasa and her friend Rahila Cheerayi while they were trying to smuggle 6 kg of gold in November 2013. Faizal is the seventh accused in the case.
The racket, led by first accused Shahbaz, allegedly smuggled 39 kg of gold valued at ₹12 crore through various airports in southern India.
The case was handed over to the Customs and Central Excise and subsequently it passed the adjudication order after conducting hearings in October.
The customs has slapped penalties of ₹27 lakh and ₹38 lakh on the two women carriers Hiromasa and Rahila respectively. The first accused has been slapped a penalty of ₹48 lakh.
