COFEPOSA invoked against nine accused gold smugglers

Provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) have been invoked against nine accused in a gold smuggling racket, customs officials said today.
The provisions allow detention of an accused for a year without trial for a year, they said.
The COFEPOSA board has invoked the act on the nine accused, including the racket's kingpin Noushad and civil police officer Jibin K Basheer, considering the gravity of the crime they committed, officials said.
Jibin was on deputation with the immigration section at the Cochin international airport.
Five people against whom the act has been invoked had been arrested by the customs in connection with the case. While they are on bail, four accused are still at large, officials said.

The accused had allegedly smuggled over 1,000 kg gold worth hundreds of crores of rupees through the Cochin international airport in a period less than two years.

The racket was busted in May this year after the special investigation and intelligence branch (SIIB) of the Customs seized 13 kg gold, hidden under the seats of a bus ferrying passengers from the aircraft to the terminal.
Anticipating that the accused may again involve in similar illegal attempts, the customs had initiated a process this July to detain some of them under COFEPOSA, which allows detention of an accused for a year without trial unless the order is quashed by a court.

Thirty-four persons, including several ground-handling staff at the airport who were found involved in the crime, were arrested by the the special investigation and intelligence branch of the Customs in the case.