THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Assistant Commissioner NS Dev, member of the investigation team probing the gold smuggling case, has been removed from the Customs Preventive Division. It is learnt that the action was taken after Swapna's handwritten statement became public. Authorities have also ordered for a department level inquiry.

The higher officials of the Customs department assume that a particular part of the statement was leaked with political intentions. The central government had also directed to identify those who were responsible for leaking the statement. Following this, the official was removed from the investigation team.

Swapna Suresh's statement about journalist Anil Nambiar was leaked through media the other day.