Ex-principal secretary to Kerala CMO appears before Customs in Kerala gold smuggling case

Former principal secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister's Office, M Sivasankar on Friday appeared before the Customs Preventive Commissionerate in Kochi on Friday for questioning in the high-profile gold smuggling case.

M Sivasankar was summoned by the Customs department in the matter.

Notably, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recently submitted a chargesheet in the Kerala gold smuggling case in a special (PMLA) court in Kochi, had said Sivasankar was a key person in the present government and his role has to be thoroughly investigated in the entire episode.

The Kerala gold smuggling case, which is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate, and the Customs department, pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels.

The matter 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 )