Kochi: Customs has filed an affidavit in the High Court accusing the police of acting beyond their authority in the Karipur gold hunt. The affidavit states that only Customs has the legal power to seize gold within the customs area of an airport, and that police must alert Customs if they receive information about gold smuggling, reported MediaOne.
According to the affidavit, the police have no authority to seize gold either inside the airport or in its surrounding areas. The deputy commissioner of Kozhikode Customs (Preventive) submitted the affidavit before the court.
The affidavit further claims that the police have been illegally melting seized gold and conducting X-ray examinations of individuals without obtaining permission from a magistrate. It also alleges that the police are not handing over gold smuggling cases to Customs as required.
Karipur police station alone has registered 170 gold smuggling cases, of which only six have reportedly been transferred to Customs. Information on 134 cases was gathered by Customs from the Manjeri court. The affidavit argues that police actions are undermining Customs’ investigations.