Thiruvananthapuram: Swapna Suresh, the alleged key conspirator in the case in which gold was smuggled into Kerala through diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate, has been dismissed by the IT department.

A former employee at the UAE consulate here, Swapna was working as an operational manager under the IT Department.

She has been absconding ever since the gold smuggling case came to light. The Customs department has intensified the search to nab her. It is alleged that Swapna has connections with high level officials.

There are reports that Swapna Suresh was to be named an accused in another case investigated by the Crime Branch.

The case is based on a complaint that Swapna, while working in Air India, filed a fake complaint against an official and submitted an imposter as the complainant. The Crime Branch said that an investigation is underway in the case.

Customs officials at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport had seized 30 kg of gold from the diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate on Sunday. The baggage was supposed to contain food items. Growing suspicious, customs officials checked the baggage after getting permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Following this, the customs officials took Sarith, who was known to the PRO at the UAE consulate, into custody.

It is learned that Swapna along with Sarith were spearheading the smuggling operations. The duo was reportedly earning up to Rs 2 lakh in each transaction. They had smuggled gold in similar fashion earlier also.

Investigations revealed that Sarith was no longer an employee at the consulate. Sarith, who had worked there, had been dismissed. However, he continued to contact people introducing himself as the PRO at the consulate. It is learned that Sarith had accepted many baggages addressed to the UAE consulate from the airport.

It is learned that alleged illicit relationship between the two and their illegal transactions led to their dismissal from the UAE consulate.