The Enforcement Directorate has got four days extension of custody of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of Kerala CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and an accused in a money laundering case linked to a drug seizure in Karnataka.
The gamut of the ED probe is getting bigger since it arrested Bineesh on October 29. From narcotics trade, benami properties and dubious banking transactions, the ED will also be looking at suspected links to the notorious gold smuggling case which has generated a lot of political heat in Kerala.
The ED began investigation trying to first establish Bineesh's monetary transactions with an alleged drug dealer Mohammed Anoop who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau and later by the ED on October 17.
Anoop, during his custodial interrogation, admitted that he was indulging in sale and purchase of narcotics drugs and was closely associated with Bineesh. During the investigation, it was revealed that he held various bank accounts and indulged in transferring and layering of huge proceeds of crime into various accounts.
On Saturday, the ED told the Special PMLA Court in Bengaluru that the “fund trail investigation” has established that huge amount of unaccounted funds were being regularly credited into Anoop's accounts by Bineesh. Incriminating evidences in the form of digital transactions and a debit card have also been recovered from the house of the accused at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, said ED officials.
During the custodial interrogation, Anoop is learnt to have admitted that all his financial dealings were done on the instructions of Bineesh who paid huge amounts of unaccounted money to him. When the ED verified the bank accounts of Bineesh, huge amounts of cash were seen deposited in his accounts especially in IDBI Bank and HDFC bank. The ED has asked the banks to furnish details of the cash deposits. There are nearly 10,000 transactions under scanner, said sources.
The ED sources said that the analysis of bank accounts has so far shown that the cash were deposited in the accounts of Bineesh immediately before transferring them to Anoop. ''It is prima facie seen that the same is generated from the activities related to drug peddling at the behest of Bineesh Kodiyeri,'' said the ED.
Two companies registered in Kerala and Karnataka are under scanner for money laundering and they are suspected to be managed and controlled by Bineesh. Some of the arrested accused have given statements to the ED alleging that Bineesh had consumed illegal drugs like cocaine with Anoop and others and was involved in financing illegal drug.
The ED told the court that it is also probing whether there are any links between some of the contacts of the accused with the other accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case. The ED may confront Bineesh with Abdul Latheef , an accused in the gold smuggling case. The ED sources said the statement of Latheef is necessary to gather evidences regarding the illegal activities and proceeds of crime. However, he has submitted that he is under home quarantine and his mother is COVID-19 positive.
A possible Dubai angle in the money laundering scam is also being investigated after Bineesh revealed that he was settled in Dubai from 2008 to 2013 and also enjoyed the status of NRI during this period.
The ED sources said Bineesh has not given any satisfactory reply about the source of such huge cash deposits in his accounts. ''There is a huge difference between cash deposits in his bank accounts and the declared income,” the ED told the court.
Meanwhile, the ED officials said voluminous documents have been recovered and the accused has to be interrogated on the same. The ED also wants to confront Bineesh with other accused persons and witnesses.
In their plea seeking extension of his custody, the ED sleuths also said that Bineesh is non-cooperative and can also flee the country to avoid investigation. Further, the ED said the accused can repeat the offence and may dispose off or transfer the proceeds of crime. The court extended his custody till November 11.
