Malappuram: NIA investigations into the sensational gold smuggling case reveal how the key player, Perunthalmanna native Rameez, player, received extraordinary support from Muslim League leaders to get away with his crime, each time customs officials cornered him for smuggling gold and in instance weapons too.
Back in 2015, Customs pulled up Rameez at Karipur airport as he attempted smuggled in gold worth Rs 5 crore. However, he used political clout across League and pressured officials to back out. The incident occurred even as he, at that time, faced trial in Ernakulam’s Additional Court for gold smuggling via Thiruvananthapuram airport in 2014.
Weapon Smuggling
Rameez was also apprehended trying to to smuggle guns via Nedumbassery airport in 2014. In the incident, he tried to course out six rifles boxed in 2 baggage through the green channel. As in the past, his saviours from the League stepped in Rameez walked out unscathed.
Illegal Hunting
One of Rameez’s pastimes involves hunting animals both in gulf and when back to Kerala where, adjoining states and Bengaluru are his favourite haunts. In 2014, shot down two deer along Kanjikode-Malampuzha route at Kongattupadam. Five persons included four locals were arrested in the case. Based on testimony of these men, police launched a hunt for Rameez who had by then fled to Gulf and has remained off radar since. Rameez is still recorded as absconding in that case.
Havala Racket
Apart from gold smuggling activities, Rameez is also a key agent in havala racket. He entered into several land deals in Malappuram based on his havala transactions. However, when real estate sector slumped Rameez returned to his gold smuggling operations.
Rameez is Chakkiri Ahmed's Grandson
Rameez’s clout across League is partly drawn from his kinship with the party bigwigs. He is a close kin of League veteran PK Kunhalikutty and grandson to former speaker Chakkiri Ahmed Kutty.
According to latest revelations from NIA questioning, Rameez played pivotal role in the gold smuggling busted at diplomatic channel of Thiruvananthapuram airport on 5 July. Apart from overseeing clearance up to outside the airport, he assumed task of ferrying it to destinations and distributing it among target buyers.
