Kochi: Smuggling accused Vishnu Somasundaram surrenders

KOCHI: The absconding key accu-sed in the Thiruvanantha-puram airport gold smuggling case Vishnu Somasundaram has surrendered at the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) office in Kochi on Monday.

This was after the High Court had directed him to surrender before the probe team on Monday, after rejecting his anticipatory bail application. The DRI has recorded the arrest and produced before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offence).

Vishnu was a close friend and financial manager of deceased violinist Balabh-askar.

He was wanted by the Crime Branch and DRI. Vishnu was behind the gold smuggling from the Middle East, according to Serina, whom the DRI arrested for smuggling in 25 kg of gold from Dubai.

According to officials, Vishnu had coordinated and led the smuggling team. His statements would be crucial for the investigation team.

The racket that smuggled over 400 kg of gold through the airport in the last one-and-half years was busted after DRI arrested two persons including a woman with 25 kg of gold at Thiruvananthapuram airport on May 13.

Following that, the Customs superintendent V. Radhakrishnan was arrested by the sleuths in connection with the gold haul, on May 24.