Kerala: Missing expat found in Karnataka by probe team; 4 arrested
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Apr 17, 2023, 3:59 PM ISTFour persons were detained earlier today in connection with the incident.
Kozhikode: The NRI businessman Muhammad Shafi, a native of Parappanpoyil, who was kidnapped on April 7 by a group of men, was located in Karnataka on Monday by a special investigation team. He will be brought to Thamarassery tonight.
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Four persons were detained earlier today in connection with the incident, according to the police. The Kasaragod locals Muhammad Naushad, Ismail Asif, Abdur Rahman, and Hussain were taken into custody. Those arrested were taken to the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital for medical examination.
Shafi was viciously assaulted by the accused who arrived in their vehicle, threatened him with weapons, and thrashed him. The police investigation was expanded to other districts after checking the locations of the mobile towers and the CCTV recordings, but Shafi could not be located.
During the investigation, the quotation gangs revealed to the police that Shafi was associated with gold smuggling groups in Saudi Arabia and was likely the motivation behind the kidnapping.
The case is being investigated by five police teams from the districts of Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Wayanad. Several people were questioned by the police related to hawala and the smuggling of gold, but nothing was found.
Recently, in a video message, Shafi claimed that his brother Noufal was attempting to flee with his possessions. Shafi had previously mentioned that he and his brother smuggled 325 kilograms of gold out of Saudi Arabia.
"I was abducted for a share of the Rs 80 crore," he had said. Shafi also requested authorities to rescue him. However, he did not mention the name of the abductors in the video.
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