The NIA had registered a case on September 22, 2020, and during investigation, it was found that Khan had hatched a conspiracy with his aides to smuggle gold bars to India
The prime operator of an international gold smuggling network, Muniyad Ali Khan, has been brought back to India from the United Arab Emirates via Interpol (an international organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control) channels. Khan was wanted by anti-terror agency NIA (National Investigation Agency) in connection with an FIR on the smuggling of gold bars from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to India.
The case relates to the seizure of smuggled gold bars at Jaipur International Airport in Rajasthan in July 2020. The NIA had registered a case on September 22, 2020, and during investigation, it was found that Khan had hatched a conspiracy with his aides to smuggle gold bars to India. He was chargesheeted by the NIA on March 22, 2021, and was wanted in the case relating to criminal conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Extradition Efforts
The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI), which is the nodal agency for Interpol in India, had gotten a red corner notice issued against Khan on September 13, 2021, which was further diffused to all law enforcement agencies across the globe.
A Red Notice essentially is an Interpol mechanism employed to trace or locate a wanted fugitive. Khan was geolocated in the UAE and thereafter, he was extradited to India on Tuesday after intense coordination between CBI, NIA, and Interpol-National Central Bureau (Abu Dhabi).
Current Status
Khan is presently in NIA custody and will be tried for his alleged involvement in the gold smuggling network. NIA, with the help of CBI, has been able to extradite another accused Shokat Ali from Saudi Arabia in April this year. The NIA has already filed the first chargesheet in the matter against 17 people who have been accused of smuggling more than 18 kg of gold from Jaipur airport.
