The Kerala Customs sleuths on Tuesday formally arrested suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar pertaining to the Kerala gold smuggling case. Sources said the sleuths from the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate visited the jail where Sivasankar is presently lodged here after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the money trail in the gold smuggling case, this morning and recorded his arrest.

They said the central agency will move an application in the court seeking his custody. The move comes a day after a special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases here granted permission to the Customs to arrest Sivasankar, who is currently in judicial custody, in connection with the sensational case.

The court for  PMLA had allowed the prayer by the Customs, which claimed it has got direct incriminating material against Sivasankar, former principal secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, over his "involvement" in the sensational smuggling of gold using the diplomatic channel. The Customs said it has arrested around 15 people, including prime accused Swapna Suresh, Sarith PS and Sandeep Nair, in connection with the seizure of 30 kg smuggled gold illicitly imported as diplomatic baggage of UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.

The agency said it has now come to light that Sivasankar, who has been arrayed as the fifth accused in the case registered by the ED, is also involved in the issue.

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