P.S. Sarith, the first accused in the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case, will be produced before the Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday.
The court issued a special warrant to the Ernakulam District Jail for producing the accused before it.
The investigation agency had earlier moved the trial court for arresting Sarith, who was arrested by the Customs officials from Thiruvananthapuram. It had also listed his name in the first information report filed in the case.
Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, who were arrested by the NIA, were slapped with the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Sarith has also been charged with the Act.
The listing of articles found in a trolley bag, which was in the possession of a friend of Sandeep, was completed at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday. A few officials of the NIA and staff members of the NIA Special Court were involved in the listing process. The listing was also video-recorded as ordered by the court.
Three more persons were nabbed up by the Customs on Thursday in connection with the case as the investigation agency is reported to have extended its investigation to some jewellers who had reportedly purchased the contraband.
The arrested were identified as E. Saidalavi of Vengara, T.M. Muhammad Anwar of Manjeri and Shamju of Kozhikode.
Altogether, 10 persons have been arrested in connection with the case so far. The arrested, according to the customs officials, admitted of their role in the conspiracy and smuggling.
