Vehicle involved in Ramanattukara accident (left), Shihab who was arrested (right)
Kozhikode: Malappuram Pandikkad native Shihab, who was arrested by the police in connection with Karipur gold smuggling and quotation cases, is known as an 'interrogation specialist' of the smuggling and hawala gangs of Koduvally area. The police have registered two cases against him for abducting 2 Koduvally natives in 2014.
Earlier, Shihab had abducted a Kottiyam native man after losing hawala money and forcefully made him give away his properties. Shihab is assigned to question the carriers of smuggled gold and hawala amount when the items are lost on the way. He has links with many quotation gangs and is an intermediary of Delhi and Mumbai-based hawala teams.
On the day of Ramanattukara accident, Shihab arrived at the airport with quotation gangs as directed by key suspect Koduvally native Sufiyan. He was asked to work with Sufiya's brother Fijaz. Following this, they met at the airport and planned the operation.
Meanwhile, another brutal incident in which Shihab was involved has come to light. Kozhikode Omakkal native Azeez was abducted by Shihab and gang 7 years ago. They disguised as police officers and kidnapped Azeez alleging he is involved in a jewellery robbery.
However, he was taken to a vacant house in Koduvally and was brutally manhandled. As he refused to give in, they injected sedatives and abandoned him in a hospital. The incident came to light, after Azeez narrated this to the doctor.
Azeez sustained severe injuries in the torture and is still continuing treatment. His family was also threatened by Shihab and gang. They targeted Azeez as he had been a carrier in the past. Shihab was arrested in 2015. Though charge sheet was submitted in the case, one more person is yet to be nabbed, Azeez revealed.
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