Kodagu Police teams up with Mysuru Police to probe smuggling links; past robbery cases under scanner 

Madikeri/Mysuru: The Kodagu District Police have seized the gold that was sold to a jewellery shop on Ashoka Road in Mysuru in the case where a gang had waylaid a contractor from Kerala and had robbed Rs. 50 lakh after kidnapping him and his friend. 

The crime occurred last Friday at Devarapura village near Gonikoppa town in Ponnampet Taluk. Speaking to Star of Mysore yesterday, Kodagu Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan confirmed that based on the statements from the victims, Police teams visited the jewellery shop on Ashoka Road and made the seizure. The gold is 99.99 percent pure (24 carat), the SP said. 

The Kerala-based contractor, K. Shamjad from Kodakkad, Tirurangadi taluk, Malappuram district, and his friend, Afnu, a student from Adarur Panchayat limits, Kozhikode, were kidnapped by the gang at Devarapura. They were later abandoned and the perpetrators fled from the scene after looting Rs. 50 lakh.

After selling the jewellery in Mysuru on Dec. 8, Shamjad and Afnu were returning to Kerala when they encountered a broken-down lorry near Devarapura at 3 am. Three cars appeared, and a gang of 10 to 15 people demanded money, assaulting and kidnapping them when they claimed not to have cash. 

The victims were later pushed out and the assailants fled with their car and Rs. 50 lakh. The car was found abandoned at Kolathodu village between Gonikoppa and Virajpet and the rear seat was found open as the dacoits searched for cash in secret compartments. 

“The case is being investigated and we are coordinating with the Mysuru Police. All past such cases where Kerala-based traders, gold merchants and businessmen were robbed are being tracked. Also, we are in touch with the Mysuru Police teams that have cracked such cases in the past,” the SP said. 

“We are looking into the modus operandi and data is being collected on who might likely be involved, how they operate, planning and execution. We are confident to crack the case as early as possible,” Ramarajan added.

No records / tax receipts for gold

The Police are also questioning victim Shamjad as to why was he carrying Rs. 50 lakh in his car late in the night. “The robbery victim does not have any records or documents for the gold including the tax-paid receipts. As such, the Income Tax Department and the Commercial Tax Department have been informed,” the SP added. 

According to highly reliable sources, gold-smuggling and sale racket has been going on for many years where gold is smuggled from Gulf countries. There is a wide network of goldsmiths to melt the yellow metal and forge it into bars to be sold illegally to gold traders in Mysuru and coastal districts of Karnataka, for years. 

The contraband is taken to Mysuru from Kerala in two routes — one from Manandavadi, Kutta, Gonikoppa, Devarapura, Anechowkur and Hunsur and the other from Kannur, Virajpet, Gonikoppa, Devarapura, Anechowkur and Hunsur. 

The carriers generally do not possess proper records of gold except having ‘permit gold’ which is a sort of unofficial proof that they possess the yellow metal. Tax-paid receipts and GST bills are usually missing. 

Explaining the modus operandi, the sources, added that the yellow metal is first smuggled to Kerala from Gulf countries. Later, the traders there buy the melted contraband at a much cheaper rate compared to the prevailing market rate and sell it to jewellers in Karnataka for 10-20 percent profit.

As per rules, it is mandatory to have invoice for the sale and purchase of gold. The gold traders must also maintain a record of purchases and sales. 

Apart from an elaborate gold-melting process, sources said that vehicles are designed with special compartments behind the rear seats, near the dashboard and under the armrest of the rear seat crafted to hide the gold bars to be smuggled into Karnataka.