DRI arrests senior Air India Express crew member in gold smuggling probe
Kannur (Kerala), May 31: Initiating a comprehensive investigation into the gold smuggling incident involving a female crew member of an Air India Express flight, DRI sleuths on Friday arrested a senior male crew member of the same airline on Friday for his alleged "significant role" in recruiting her into the smuggling ring.
According to a source, Suhail Thanalot, a senior crew member of AIE and a native of Thillenkeri in Kannur district, was apprehended following intelligence and evidence compiled by the DRI regarding his involvement in the gold smuggling incident.
He was apprehended three days after Surabhi Khatun, who belongs to Kolkata, was arrested by the DRI for allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly one kilogram of gold from Muscat to Kannur by concealing it in her rectum. She was remanded in judicial custody on Thursday.
According to the source, Suhail, who has around 10 years' experience as cabin crew, is suspected of playing a significant role in recruiting Khatun into the smuggling syndicate.
He will be produced before the judicial magistrate with a request for remand, the source said.
With regard to Khatun's arrest, Air India Express had confirmed that Customs was investigating an incident involving their employee.
"We confirm that an incident is being investigated by the Customs authorities at CNN (Kannur) airport involving an employee. We are cooperating with the investigative authorities," a spokesperson of the airline had said.
The airline, however, has not reacted to the arrest of Suhail.
Based on specific intelligence by DRI Cochin, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI - Kannur) intercepted Khatun.
Her personal search had resulted in the recovery of 960 grams of smuggled gold in compound form that was concealed in her rectum.
This is the first case in India where an airline crew member has been apprehended for smuggling gold by concealing it in the rectum, the source had claimed.
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Man jumps to death from 22nd floor of posh Noida society; depression suspected
Noida (PTI): A 37-year-old man allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the 22nd floor of a posh residential society in Sector 107 here, police said on Monday.
The incident took place on Sunday in Prateek Edifice Society under the jurisdiction of the Sector-39 police station. The deceased has been identified as Sajjal Mehrotra, a company director who lived in the society with his family.
"On Sunday afternoon, he jumped from the balcony of his flat on the 22nd floor," a police official said.
Family members and security guards rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said, adding that no suicide note has been found.
Prima facie, the deceased was suffering from depression, officials said, adding that other aspects of the case are being investigated.
The body has been sent for post-mortem and further legal formalities are underway.
Police said the man got married about 10 years ago and is survived by his wife and two children. No complaint has been received from the family in connection with the incident.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
