The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in a narcotics case in Bengaluru, the Hindustan Times reported.
Kodiyeri has been sent to Enforcement Directorate’s custody for four days after he failed to provide convincing answers about the alleged funding of a drug racket. This is the second time that he has been questioned in the matter.
The name of the CPI(M) leader’s son surfaced in the drug cases when Anoop Mohammed, a native of Kochi, was held by the Narcotics Control Bureau and questioned, according to The News Minute. Mohammed was caught peddling drugs under the cover of running a hotel in Bengaluru. Kodiyeri
had later admitted that he knew Mohammed and helped him in setting up his business, but was not aware of his drug dealings.
However, the Enforcement Directorate found two shell companies floated by Kodiyeri in 2015, B Capital Solutions and B Capital Forex, which had failed to file tax returns. The firms are suspected to be involved in alleged money laundering and hawala transactions, according to the Hindustan Times.
It was also found out that Rs 50 lakh was deposited into Mohammed’s account in the last six months and the investigating agency suspects Kodiyeri to be one of the financers of the drug cartel.
Gold smuggling case connection
During investigation of a gold smuggling case in Kerala, the Enforcement Directorate also found links between that and the drug case. Kodiyeri was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the smuggling case as well on 9 September, reported The News Minute.
According to Hindustan Times, one of the accused in the smuggling case is a friend of Mohammed.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate had on Wednesday arrested suspended Indian Administrative Service officer and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar in the gold smuggling case.
On July 5, gold weighing 30 kg concealed in imported plumbing material was seized by the Customs officials upon inspection of an air cargo consignment addressed to the Consular General of the United Arab Emirates in Thiruvananthapuram district. Officials valued the gold at Rs 15 crore. Officials found that former employees of the consulate – Suresh and Nair – were involved in the smuggling.
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