Arjun Ayanki, the prime suspect in the Karipur airport gold smuggling case, has been arrested.

Arjun Ayanki, the main suspect in the gold smuggling attempt at the Calicut International Airport in Karipur, was apprehended by the Customs Department’s Headquarters Preventive Unit in Kochi on Monday, June 28. Customs called the kid, who appeared at the Customs office in Kochi on June 28. The arrest, which occurred late in the evening, came after an hours-long interview. Arjun is accused of having ties to a ring involved in the smuggling of the gold seized at the Karipur airport on June 21.

According to The Hindu, the Customs suspects the involvement of around 30 people from various gangs in the current surge of gold smuggling episodes and the related occurrences of kidnapping the carriers. Meanwhile, another accused, Shafeeque, was remanded in Customs prison for seven days by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (economic offences) of Ernakulam. He had been held in judicial custody since his arrest on June 21.

On June 21, customs officers confiscated 2,33,3 grammes of gold from Mohammed Shafeeque Melethil, a Malappuram resident, at the Karipur airport. On the same day, five teenagers were killed in a car accident at Ramanattukara, Kozhikode district. According to reports, the accident occurred while the five youngsters were pursuing another rival smuggling gang that they believed had the gold allegedly attempted to smuggle by Mohammed Shafeeque. They had no idea Mohammed Shafeeque had been arrested.In a statement presented to the Additional Chief Justice Magistrate (Economic Offences) in Ernakulam, the Customs stated that Arjun Ayanki had connections with Mohammed Shafeeque. Arjun, according to the latter, was waiting for him outside the Karipur airport.

The Kannur police on Sunday had located the car used by Arjun, which was suspected to be used for the smuggling of gold. The car was found hidden near Pariyaram Medical College Hospital. Arjun reportedly was previously a member of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M). However, after his name surfaced linking him to the gold smuggling case, he took to Facebook to state that he had no ties with the CPI(M) or the DYFI over the past three years. DYFI state Secretary AA Rahim had told media that the DYFI had no ties with Arjun, who has over 40,000 followers on Facebook.

Sajesh, a member of the CPI(M) Moiyaram branch committee in Kannur, is said to have arranged the car. The party, on the other hand, suspended Sajesh for a year for failing to be ‘vigilant.’ Sajesh had been expelled from the DYFI after his name was related to the smuggling case.

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