Dollar smuggling case: K Ayyappan interrogated by Customs for 9 hours

K Ayyappan, Assistant Private Secretary of the Kerala Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan was interrogated by Customs officials on Friday for nine hours in connection with a dollar smuggling case.

"I don't want to say anything because of my position," Ayyappan told reporters here after the interrogation.

Customs had issued a third notice to Ayyappan to appear before it on Thursday after he failed to appear before it the day before.

Ayyappan had informed the Department through the mail that he could not appear due to the busy schedule of the Kerala Assembly session beginning on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Kerala Assembly Speaker's office issued a letter to the Customs Department stating that the Speaker's permission is required to interrogate his Assistant Private Secretary.

The dollar smuggling came to light during the investigation of the Kerala gold smuggling case, which is currently being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Customs department.

The matter, which pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels, had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crores smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.

( With inputs from ANI )