The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday inspected the Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing and Training (C-APT).
The public sector entity under the Higher Education Department had come under the NIA scanner for receiving Koran imported from the UAE for distribution along with food kits to needy families during Ramzan.
The NIA and other agencies were probing whether the importers of the Koran had used it as a cover for gold smuggling. NIA officers reportedly inspected records, sought video footage related to the Koran import and also quizzed some officials as part of their inquiry.
The Customs had noticed a discrepancy of 14 kg between the declared and actual weight of the consignment. The C-APT had received 32 packets of Koran on March 24. It later transported the packages to Malappuram for distribution at the behest of Minority Welfare and Waqaf Minister K.T. Jaleel.
The transaction became a controversy after the Customs Department, in July last, exposed the smuggling of gold via air cargo consignments addressed to the UAE consulate here. The agency viewed other massive imports during the 2017-2020 period with suspicion. The NIA also evinced interest in the case given its national security implications.
Dr. Jaleel has denied any wrongdoing and termed the acceptance of Koran as a cultural and religious transaction with a friendly nation. However, the UDF and the BJP were agitating for his expulsion from the Cabinet.
