Rabins Hameed a hawala dealer, financed smuggling networks from UAE

Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

KOCHI: The Customs probe into the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channel has revealed that Muvattupuzha native Rabins Hameed was a major hawala dealer who financed several gold smuggling networks from the UAE.

The information was received during the preliminary interrogation of Jalal, also a Muvattupuzha native. 

“Rabins is a major hawala dealer operating from the UAE. The money collected to procure gold was sent by Jalal and K T Rameez through hawala channels and reached Rabins. The latter has close contacts with hawala agents in Kerala through whom money is sent and received illegally. Rabins invested money in the smuggling of gold through diplomatic channel and also works for other smuggling networks in Dubai,” said a source in the Customs.

Sources said Rabins was involved in the 2015 Nedumbassery gold smuggling case in which a Muvattupuzha-based gang smuggled over 1,500kg of gold in a span of two years. Jalal is also a suspect in the case. The Customs has also received more details about an organised network operating from the UAE. 

“We have received the names of three more persons and are confirming their identity. We will soon arraign them,” said a source.

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court has issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against Rabins and Faisal who were recently arraigned as accused in the case. 

Customs will now approach the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking to issue a lookout notice against Faisal and Rabins on the basis of the NBW. It will also reach out to Interpol via the CBI to issue a Red notice against the duo to ensure their extradition. “The paper work to bring them both back to India will be completed soon,” said an official.

Meanwhile, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court sent Jalal, Muhammad Shafi and Hamjat Ali to Customs custody till 5 pm on Wednesday. Said Alavi, Mohammad Anwar, Samju T M, Abdul Hameed, Aboobacker P, Mohammad Abdu Shamim, Jifsal CV and Abdu PD were sent to Customs custody till Thursday.

Customs gets custody of Swapna and Sandeep

Kochi:The Customs on Tuesday received four-day custody of Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair in the gold smuggling case. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court ordered that they be produced in court at 11 am on August 1. Swapna’s counsel said the agency had recorded their statements when they were in NIA custody last week. Countering this, the Customs counsel said the case posed a threat to the economic security of the nation.

As published by New Indian Express