Rs 2.5-cr gold seized from Kerala jeweller

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New Delhi, December 7

The Enforcement Directorate today said it had seized gold worth Rs 2.51 crore from a “secret” chamber at the premises of a Malappuram-based jewellery house promoter, who is an alleged beneficiary of the Kerala “gold smuggling through diplomatic bag” case.

The ED said the action had been taken against Aboobacker Pazhedath, promoter of Malabar Jewellery and Fine Gold Jewellery, both based in Malappuram, and one of the shareholders of Atlas Gold Super Markets Pvt Ltd, Kozhikode.

The ED, NIA and the Customs Department are conducting separate investigations into the racket that was unearthed with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020. The ED said its probe reveled Aboobaker Pazhedath of Malappuram was part of the gold smuggling syndicate headed by Sarith PS, Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair, under the patronage of IAS officer M Sivasankar (former Principal Secretary to the Kerala CM) and was one of the beneficiaries”.