KOCHI: The customs issued a show cause notice to 53 persons in the gold smuggling case. The action is ahead of filing a charge sheet in the case. The customs concluded that three types of smuggling had occurred. The gold smuggling by Swapna, Sandeep and Sarith, smuggling by the consul general and smuggling dollars abroad are the three. The customs said the money belonged to many bigwigs.

The customs also voiced serious allegations against the state government. They said the government went out of the way and provided S-category security for the consul general and also issued passes to four officials of the consulate. Swapna, accused in the gold smuggling case stood as mediator for all these.