Kochi: Customs Commissionerate (Preventive), Kochi conducted a raid at the house of IUML leader and Thrikkakara municipality vice-chairman AA Ibrahimkutty, in connection with the seizure of around 2.23 kg of gold from an imported meat-cutting machine at Kochi airport on Saturday. According to officials, the raid was carried out after gold was seized from the meat cutting machine that arrived at Air Cargo Complex at Kochi airport from Dubai on Saturday for a company in which Ibrahimkutty’s son has an investment.
The machine that arrived at the air cargo complex of the Kochi airport from Dubai was addressed to a company named Thuruthel Entreprises in Kakkanad, owned by one KP Sirajudeen, a businessman who had produced some Malayalam movies. Customs suspect that Ibrahimkutty’s son Shabin has connection with the incident. Customs officials said around 2.23 kg of gold was concealed in the base portion of the meat cutting machine. Due to the concealment the gold was not detected by the officials during a physical examination held at the airport. Later they had to dismantle the machine completely to find the gold. Customs officials had arrested Thrikkakara native Nakul, who came to the airport to receive the cargo.
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The raid at Ibrahimkutty’s residence started around 8 am on Tuesday and continued till evening. According to Customs officials, several documents and electronic devices including mobile phones were seized during the raid. The Customs Department is likely to summon Ibrahimkutty for interrogation in the coming days. ‘We have sought the custody of Nakul who is the driver of Sirajudheen. In the detailed interrogation, more details about the gold smuggling operation will be revealed. We suspect that the company was formed as a cover for gold smuggling activities. When the meat cutting machine is available in Kerala for Rs 40,000, they imported the machine from Dubai to smuggle gold’, the official said.
Meanwhile, Ibrahimkutty denied his or his son’s involvement in the case and said that the Customs officers did not find anything from his house. He claimed that he was also not aware of his son’s investment in Thuruthel Enterprise and will cooperate with the Customs probe. Both Sirajudeen and Shabin are now absconding.
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