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Thiruvananthapuram:
The case involving the smuggling of 30 kg gold in Kerala can be taken over by the National Investigation Agency, the Union Home Ministry declared right now, saying the “organised smuggling operation may have serious implications for national security”.
The nod from the house ministry got here as a political firestorm raged within the state over the case, during which the opposition Congress has alleged the involvement of CPM Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s workplace.
The gold, hid in a diplomatic bundle linked to the United Arab Emirates consulate within the state, was detected by the Customs Department on the Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 4.
The UAE stated it’s investigating the case and “the culprits who sought to tarnish the reputation of the UAE mission in India will not be spared”.
A former worker on the UAE Consulate, Swapna Suresh, who was additionally a advertising officer for one of many companies linked to the Kerala authorities’s Information Technology division, is amongst those that staked declare to the gold. Chief Minister Vijayan has denied that his workplace has any reference to the lady.
“This controversial woman in gold smuggling case has no connection with the Chief Minister’s Office or IT department. How can this new gold smuggling case anyway related to state government? The parcel did not come to any of the state government agency. The parcel came for UAE consulate. If there is any failure how can state government be responsible? The state government has no role in it,” Mr Vijayan had stated.
Sources on the Chief Minister’s Office informed NDTV that the “contract of the concerned person has been terminated since the serious allegations emerged”.
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