THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The customs have started a probe in the smuggling of currency worth crore abroad by Swapna Suresh, accused in the gold smuggling case. The customs found that the dollars were smuggled abroad in violation of the limit. With this, the customs have started a move to register a new case on it. Swapna had flown abroad six times with M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the chief minister. The customs suspect that she may have smuggled the dollar in this journey. The customs is thinking of arraigning him in the case.

The investigating team obtained information that Swapna, who travelled with Sivasankar, had obtained VIP consideration. The customs have started collecting details of their travel and their luggage taken. Sivasankar and Swapna went to Dubai on October 17, 2018 ahead of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's visit to UAE seeking flood relief. She also accompanied Sivasankar when he went to Oman. It was also found that the two had gone abroad four times. The customs obtained information that Sivasankar had contacted an airline company for five tickets to Dubai for Swapna in Vande Bharat flight in June. She told him that the tickets were for foreigners. The customs suspect that currency were smuggled in their luggage also.

The customs is questioning Sivasankar related to the incident of delivering dates to the UAE Consulate through the diplomatic channel. He appeared at the office in Kochi at 11 am. T V Anupama, the then director of department of social justice, had told the customs that Sivasankar had directed her to distribute the dates to orphanages and special schools. He is being questioned based on it. The dates which came via diplomatic channel were exempted from tax. The dates were brought for the consulate and there was no understanding or agreement to deliver the stuff outside. The customs have registered another case in addition to the gold smuggling case. The customs will seek details from Sivasankar in their interrogation on smuggling currency abroad.

17,000 kilos of dates reached UAE Consulate in 2017.

The customs had earlier grilled him for nearly 17 hours. The customs have so far registered three cases in gold smuggling, religious texts and delivery of dates. Swapna and others were granted bail as the charge sheet had not been filed in the gold smuggling case.