Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel today appeared before the NIA team probing the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case.
Visuals aired by TV news channels showed the Minister, who is facing the Enforcement Directorate probe into alleged FCRA violation in accepting consignments of Holy Quran brought from UAE through diplomatic channel, arriving at the NIA office here at 6 am in a private car.
Widening the scope of investigation into the Kerala gold smuggling case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the premises of a jewellery maker in Coimbatore.
A five-member NIA team raided the house cum jewellery making unit owned by J Nandagopal, who had allegedly acted as a middleman in the case.
The NIA has cited the jewellery maker as an accused after investigations revealed that he had bought the smuggled gold and converted them into finished jewellery. After questioning him, he was taken to Kerala for further investigations.
The prime accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh was admitted to a medical college hospital in Thrissur after she complained of uneasiness and chest pain recently.