Faizal Fareed and Rabins Hameed have been arrested by the authorities in UAE and the country plans to take strict action against them as they "attempted to damage friendly relations with India and UAE", the NIA told the court

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Kerala gold smuggling case, on Tuesday told the special court that the UAE authorities have arrested two key accused in the case.

Faizal Fareed and Rabins Hameed have been arrested by the authorities in the UAE and the country plans to take strict action against them as they "attempted to damage friendly relations with India and the UAE", the NIA told the court.

The probe agency made its submission before the NIA Special Court in Kochi while filing a counter-petition against the bail plea of another accused in the matter, Muhammed Shafi.

According to the NIA petition, the UAE authorities have revealed that "Faizal Fareed and Rabins Hameed committed the crime, pursuant to the conspiracy with other accused who all had knowingly funded, facilitated and smuggled gold through diplomatic cargo of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram by forging or deceitfully obtaining authorisation certificates, from UAE diplomats."

The NIA has initiated the process to get INTERPOL Blue Notices against the two accused to extradite them to India. Similar notices have been requested for a Siddiqul Akbar, Ahmed Kutty, Raju Ratheesh and Mohammed Shameer in the same case.

The NIA, in its petition in the court, said that it is also in process of filing a request to the UAE authorities for obtaining evidence linked to the case as a major part of the transactions, especially funding through reverse hawala and purchase of smuggled gold, had occurred in the UAE.

"Based on the facts ascertained through investigation in India, evidence has to be collected, during further visits of NIA investigators to the UAE, regarding the source of smuggled gold and the involvement of any other players, inimical to the economic security of India, in facilitating the crime from the UAE," the probe agency told the court.

In response to the bail plea filed by Muhammed Shafi, the NIA said that none of the accused seeking bail are from financially weaker sections of society. "They own palatial houses, luxury cars and businesses in India, besides UAE and other Middle East countries that are used as cover to avoid paying income tax," the NIA said.

"Since a major part of the transactions was conducted by the accused in the UAE, the investigation has to be conducted abroad, after ascertaining complete facts about transactions in India. Release of accused of bail would facilitate tampering with evidence, through their associates, who are at large, both in India and UAE," it said.

Muhammad Shafi has stated that he was associated with smuggling of gold through diplomatic baggage of the UAE consulate about 20 times and arranged to send 88.5 kg of gold from the UAE, out of which about 47.5 kg was contributed by him and associates. He also facilitated camouflaging and concealment of gold in the baggage at the UAE to avoid detection by customs authorities.