In a smuggling case related to the recovery of gold worth over Rs 25 crore at Surat airport last week, three alleged traffickers and an immigration officer have been sent to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) custody till Wednesday. The government lawyer - representing the DRI - told a court on Monday that a terror link was also suspected. All four accused were produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court of CV Rana on Monday evening. DRI officials submitted two remand applications, one for all three alleged traffickers and another remand application for police sub-inspector and immigration officer Parag Dave, requesting custody for three days. The court granted custody till Wednesday. District Government Pleader Nayan Sukhadwala said the three alleged smugglers were involved in petty jobs in Surat and their monthly income was around Rs 12,000. "They are weakening the economy with such activities. We also suspect that money used behind the gold trafficking may be used for terrorist activities. All three traffickers had gone to Dubai under tourist visas. We have also got CCTV footage of the three carrying the bags containing gold paste," he told the court, adding the kingpin in the network is yet to be identified. Acting on a specific input, DRI officials of Surat and Ahmedabad arrested three men identified as Mohammed Shakib Atasbajiwala (35), Uvesh Shaikh (31), Yashir Shaikh (35), at Surat airport on July 7. They also seized 43 kg of gold. During interrogation, the accused revealed they brought gold from Dubai via a direct flight from Sharjah to Surat, officials said. Maroofa Shaika, Yashir's wife, was travelling with him. She was released after questioning. Officials said the trio confessed they were to deliver the gold past - packed in four black belts - to the immigration officer PD Dave (46) to take it out of the airport. Based on the claims, Dave was called to the airport after he allegedly took sick leave the same day. During searches at Dave's house on July 8, blank cheques for a total amount of Rs.12 lakh were seized. DRI officials officially declared the arrests of all four accused on Sunday under the provision of the Customs Act 1962, Section 135. Sukhadwala further said that Dave, fearing arrest on the day of recovery, took sick leave and destroyed some sim cards. Defense lawyer Nadim Chaudhary in his arguments said the accused traffickers had no criminal background. Advocate Tejash Mehta, representing Dave, argued he had health issues, adding he had spent 24 years delivering "spotless service with the police department". For the last six months, he had been serving as an Immigration officer at Surat airport.
