Kozhikode, Jan 18 (IANS): The Vigilance wing of the Kerala Police conducted raids on Saturday at multiple locations across Kozhikode, Malappuram, Amritsar, and Haryana in connection with a 2023 gold smuggling and hawala case.

The gold smuggling case allegedly involves central government officials from the CISF and customs departments.

In a rare move, the Kerala Vigilance wing, rather than the CBI, is spearheading the investigation, which typically falls under the latter's jurisdiction when it concerns central government officials.

The raids targeted properties associated with CISF Assistant Commandant Naveen Kumar, Customs Inspector Sandeep, and their associates, including friends and relatives in the four cities across Kerala, Punjab and Haryana.

The case was first registered in 2023 after reports emerged of widespread gold smuggling at the international airport near Kozhikode.

Investigators uncovered evidence of collusion between CISF and customs officials with gold smuggling networks operating out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

One significant revelation was that the duty roster of CISF and customs personnel at Kozhikode airport had been shared with smuggling syndicates in the UAE. This information allowed the smugglers to time their gold shipments strategically.

For every consignment successfully smuggled, CISF and customs officials allegedly received commissions, which were paid through hawala transactions in various cities.

The Kozhikode airport has increasingly become a hotspot for gold smuggling, with numerous gangs relying on carriers -- individuals traveling from the Middle East on leave -- to transport gold.

These carriers, often paid a nominal fee that includes airfare and a small remuneration, smuggle gold in various concealed forms, including instances where the gold is hidden inside their bodies.

The ongoing raids underline the Vigilance department's commitment to tackling this growing issue, which has long plagued the state.