Kochi: Gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh has been charged with Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) act. 

An accused charged with COFEPOSA can be kept in preventive custody for up to a year without trial. Customs department has issued a warrant in this regard. The warrant will be handed over to the jail authorities soon.

Swapna Suresh was granted bail in the gold smuggling case registered by the customs department. However, she has not been granted bail in the cases registered by NIA and Enforcement Directorate.

Usually, COFEPOSA is charged after the accused is released on bail in connection with customs cases. The accused in the gold smuggling cases centered around Thiruvananthapuram airport have been kept under preventive custody as per COFEPOSA in the past.  

It has to be examined whether COFEPOSA charges will be legally valid as Swapna is currently in jail.