Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency arrested key accused Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair on Saturday evening in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case. The NIA arrested these two suspected accused from a hotel in Koramangala in Bengaluru said sources.

Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair were missing since their names cropped up in the case. Another accused, Sarith, has already been arrested by the Customs (Preventive) Department. Swapna’s minor daughter and another minor, who had accompanied the suspects, were also reportedly present at the time of the duo’s detention. “Swapna and Sandeep are being questioned by the NIA in Bengaluru and they will be arrested in due course. After arrest, they will be taken to Kerala and produced before the special court there,” said an officer.

The gold valued at around Rs 15 crore was seized by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionarate, Kochi. Swapna Suresh, Sarith and Sandeep Nair of Thiruvananthapuram and Fazil Fared of Ernakulam have been listed in the smuggling case as accused.

Swapna Suresh and Sandeep Nair had reportedly travelled to Bengaluru in a private car along with her husband Jagmohan, their minor daughter and another minor child, said sources. A former woman employee of the UAE consulate, Swapna is a key suspect in the gold smuggling bid through diplomatic baggage and was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. “She has reportedly honey-trapped many big wigs in Kerala — from bureaucrats to politicians,” said the source.

Ms Suresh is a former employee of the UAE consulate and a former marketing officer of a firm linked to Kerala’s information technology department. The Chief Minister’s Office said her contract was terminated after the serious allegations surfaced. The opposition has alleged the accused has links with the Chief Minister’s Office, and that they were attempts to shield her. The Chief Minister has denied this. An IAS officer has been removed from the Chief Minister’s Office and replaced as IT secretary amid protests by the opposition.

“From the evidence gathered so far it appears that Ms Swapna Suresh is a pivotal member of a gang engaged in smuggling of large quantities of gold to India by defrauding government agencies and customs department by using the cover of diplomatic protection and further she has conspired and actively participated to facilitate the act of smuggling,” the customs department said in a report submitted to the court.

The customs alleged that officials started checking the baggage at 1 pm on July 5 and Ms Suresh switched off her phone by 3.15 pm. The report said she is on the run and is avoiding summons to evade the probe. The wife of Sandeep Nair – the other accused taken into custody has n her statement to Customs had said that her husband used to “smuggle gold with the help of Sarith and Swapna”. She alleged they would do so for other gangs as well.