Faisal Fareed and Rabins Hameed, two “main conspirators” in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case, have been arrested in the UAE.
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The UAE authorities, who arrested the two accused, have informed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that strict action would be taken against all conspirators as the “accused in the case had attempted to damage the friendly relations between India and the UAE,” the NIA submitted before the Special Judge considering the case on Tuesday.
It was while opposing the bail plea of Muhammad Shafi, an accused in the case, that the NIA made the revelations.
The UAE authorities had revealed that the crimes were committed by Fareed and Hameed pursuant to the conspiracy hatched with the other accused who were arrested in India. They were on the run in the UAE.
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All the accused had knowingly funded, facilitated and smuggled gold through the diplomatic cargo of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram by forging or deceitfully obtaining the authorisation certificates from the UAE diplomats, it stated.
The NIA said it had moved the Interpol for issuing Blue Corner notices against the “fugitives,” Fareed and Hameed, Siddiqul Akbar, Ahamed Kutty, Raju, and Mohammad Shameer, for securing their presence in India.
The request for mutual legal assistance is being finalised for obtaining the evidence in this case from the UAE, as a major part of the transactions, especially funding through reverse hawala and purchase of smuggled gold, had taken place in the UAE.
Multiple occasions
The agency submitted that the investigations revealed that Shafi was one of the prime accused who invested, arranged and facilitated the smuggling of gold through the diplomatic baggage of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on multiple occasions with the other accused in the case.