Kochi:  Customs Department is questioning Unitac Builders owner Santosh Eepan in connection with a dollar smuggling case. According to customs, the money was laundered by Santosh Eepan. Life Mission bribes were converted into dollars and smuggled abroad.

Unitac Builder was reportedly entrusted with the construction of 140 flats for the homeless under a Kerala government housing project in Thrissur district.

Eapen has been arraigned as the fifth accused in the case by the Customs, which found that a large amount in dollars was taken out of the country, using the influence of the accused.

Eapen for the past few days was on the radar of the Customs and was questioned for a few days in the past week. On Tuesday his arrest was recorded after he was called for questioning.

Life Mission, billed as the pet project of Vijayan, handed over the construction of 140 flats to Santhosh Eapen's firm Unitac Builders. This was allegedly facilitated by Swapna Suresh (prime accused in the now infamous Kerala gold smuggling case that surfaced in July last year) as this project was funded by UAE-based charity organisation Red Crescent and routed through the UAE Consulate where she had good contacts.

The Customs department had also arrested senior IAS official M. Sivasankar, the then Principal Secretary to Vijayan.

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