New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Congress Thursday demanded a CBI probe into the gold smuggling case detected at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, alleging the incident involves people who have access to the highest echelons of the state and the Central governments.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said given the influential nature of people involved, it is only fitting that the investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

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"The Congress demands a thorough enquiry by the CBI into the extent of this crime, individuals in the ruling parties -- the CPI-M at the state level and the BJP at the central level -- who may have been involved in the orchestration of this offence and the presence of other such instances which have gone unnoticed, if any," he said in a statement.

The Centre has already ordered a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as the incident "may have serious implications for national security," officials said.

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The decision on the NIA probe came a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his "intervention for an effective investigation" into the seizure of gold worth crores of rupees from a "diplomatic baggage" at the airport in the state capital.

Surjewala said it is also likely that individuals involved could not have done what they did -- “audacious smuggling of gold” under the watch of the authorities and using diplomatic cargo, that enjoys diplomatic immunity -- without the support or knowledge of those not just in the state government, but also at the Centre.

Gold weighing over 30 kg was seized from the "diplomatic baggage" that had landed by air cargo at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently from the Gulf.

The Customs department has said that it suspected a smuggling syndicate had misused the name of a person who enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Two persons, including a woman, are wanted in the sensational case. Both the suspects are absconding, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)