'Gold smuggling cargo' belonged to UAE Consul General: Swapna Suresh at HC; seeks diplomatic immunity

KOCHI: Swapna Suresh, who is wanted for allegedly aiding smuggling of gold through diplomatic channels, has contended before the Kerala High Court that the cargo belonged to the Consul General of UAE. An anticipatory bail plea filed by her said she is entitled to diplomatic immunity.
Swapna has stated in the anticipatory bail plea that she has been working with the consulate general office of UAE as executive secretary since 2016.
Regarding the cargo, the plea said, “Mr. Rashid Khamis Al Sheimeili, who is the present acting charge of the Consulate General of UAE directed the petitioner to check with customs regarding the delay of his consignment reached in the cargo on 30 June 2020. Again on 1 July 2020 as a Secretary under work on request basis, the Consulate General instructed her to contact the customs officer, Cargo complex, Thiruvananthapuram and as part of discharging the official duties the petitioner called the assistant commissioner of customs and verified the status of diplomatic cargo. Thereafter on 1 July 2020 at about evening, the Consulate General of UAE has received an email in the office of the assistant commissioner customs, Air Cargo Complex, Thiruvananthapuram requesting the presence of his excellency for the verification of the diplomatic cargo at 11am on 3 July 2020. Thereafter the Consul General of UAE to the Cargo complex and verified the cargo and admitted before customs authority that the said cargo belongs to him.”
Regarding diplomatic immunity, Swapna’s bail plea said, “Since the Consulate General of UAE and his staff are entitled for the protection and immunity as a diplomatic agent as per the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relation, 1961.” The petitioner did not visit the customs office or the cargo complex of the airport, the petition said while contending that she has no connection with the gold smuggling.