Kochi: The Customs sought Monday the extension of custody of suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar. He has been arrested by the Customs in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case. The Customs filed a petition in the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) court. It sought seven-day extension of departmental custody of M Sivasankar.
The Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate claimed that key accused Swapna Suresh, during her custodial interrogation, has made revelations implicating Sivasankar in the currency smuggling case with strong links in the gold smuggling case. The agency submitted before the court a copy of the statement made by Suresh before the investigating officer under Section 108 of Customs Act November 27. The court posted for Tuesday the application seeking extension of custody of Sivasankar.
Suresh and another accused in the gold smuggling case, Sarith PS, were also produced in the court as their five-day custody ended Monday. They were arrested in connection with allegedly assisting a former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram in smuggling USD 1,90,000 to Muscat from the capital city.
Considering a separate application from the Customs seeking seven more days extension of custody of both Suresh and Sarith, the court sent them to three more days custody.
Customs which is probing the gold smuggling case, claimed that former finance head of UAE consulate, Thiruvananthapuram, Khaled Mohamed Ali Shoukri, had taken out USD 1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs 1.30 crore) concealed in his handbag. Shoukri, an Egyptian national, was accompanied by Suresh and Sarith till Oman during his travel from Thiruvananthapuram international airport by Oman Airways August 7, 2019.
In the application seeking custody of Sivasankar, the Customs said more investigation is required on two more mobile phones used by Sivasankar. The agency said during the course of custodial interrogation of Sivasankar, he had stated, under section 108 of the Customs Act, that he was using only one mobile phone, which he had declared before the investigating agencies.
But investigation revealed that he was using two more mobile phones, which he did not divulge before the agencies, the Customs said in the petition. Out of the two phones, one number has been identified and retrieved by the investigating team on November 29 and it is being analysed, the petition said.
Efforts are in progress to identify and recover the second mobile, the agency said seeking the continued custody of Sivasankar.
The Customs effected the arrest of Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister, November 24 in connection with the gold smuggling case. The IAS officer was suspended after his links to Suresh, a former employee of the consulate, surfaced.