KOCHI: Foreign trade records show that South Africa-based More Fresh Exports, which had sent drugs worth Rs 2000 crores to India in fruit cartons, had shipped fruits to two major traders in Kozhikode and Kochi, which were sent to India in boxes worth Rs 2,000 crore. Both establishments have been in this field for decades.

The owner of the Kozhikode firm said that they weren't involved in any deals with More Fresh Exports. "I don't know Vengara native Mansoor, who is said to be the owner of More Fresh. However, I had purchased apples and oranges from Yummito Foods International MD Vijin Varghese, who was arrested in Mumbai. The fruits were delivered to Kozhikode in our lorries from Yummito's godown in Mumbai. All the money transactions were through the bank. Vijin behaved decently," the trader said.

"Vijin regularly posts pictures of harvesting rambutan and other fruits in his own garden. I thought he belonged to a big family of farmers. I heard about Mansoor only after this incident. So far the investigation agencies have not come to my establishment," he added.

The traders in Kochi, on the other hand, were not ready to respond. Both companies started importing foreign products only a few years back. It is suspected that More Fresh may have forged import documents in the name of these establishments.

The DRI is probing Yummito's dealings through the Kochi port and Mansoor's and Vij's links with fruit traders in Kerala. 313 shipments arrived from South Africa for Yummito Foods. The officials are also investigating whether these shipments were unloaded at other ports other than Mumbai.