Concrete slab collapse kills three loading workers in Kerala
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): Three people died after a 50-metre-long concrete slab at a Kozhikode Corporation-owned building collapsed on loading workers at Valiyangadi here on Monday, police officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Jabbar, Ashraf and Basheer, who were engaged in loading work at the two-storied building owned by the Kozhikode Corporation in Valiyangadi.
Police said two more persons were injured in the incident.
Police said the incident occurred between 11.30 am and 12 pm when a 50-metre-long concrete slab of the sunshade collapsed on the workers while they were resting in front of a closed shop after engaging in loading work.
Though they were rushed to nearby hospitals by locals, three of them succumbed to their injuries, police said.
Police and the Kozhikode Corporation have launched a probe into the incident.
Soon after the incident, BJP councillors staged a protest at the Kozhikode Corporation office and the Mayor’s office.
Opposition parties alleged that the building, owned by the LDF-ruled Kozhikode Corporation, was unfit for operation as it had been constructed over seven decades ago.
“The last council had declared the building unfit and decided to dismantle it. But there were shops and godowns still operating in the building,” BJP councillors said, alleging that the deaths occurred due to the negligence of the Corporation.
They demanded that a case of culpable homicide be registered against Mayor O Sadasivan.
The protesting councillors were later removed by the police from the Corporation office.
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
