Kerala Woman Fakes Kidnapping To Steal Smuggled Gold, Arrested After 12-Km Dramatic Chase

What initially appeared to be a kidnapping turned out to be an elaborate conspiracy allegedly masterminded by the supposed victim herself.

05 Nov 2026, 08:43 · NDTV

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A 12-km police chase near Karipur Airport exposed a gold-smuggling plot involving staged abduction
Priyanka, arriving from Dubai with gold, conspired with three Kannur men to fake her kidnapping
The staged abduction used Priyanka’s husband and children as cover for smuggling gold

Could international agencies get involved in the Dubai investigation?

A dramatic 12-kilometre police chase near Kerala's Karipur International Airport has brought to light an extraordinary gold-smuggling conspiracy in which a woman staged her own abduction to smuggle the gold she had brought from Dubai.

CCTV footage of the high-speed pursuit captures a blue Maruti Baleno attempting a daring escape even after being cornered by a police jeep. In a dramatic sequence, the car suddenly reverses and manages to slip away from the police, only to be intercepted and its occupants apprehended later.

What initially appeared to be a kidnapping turned out to be an elaborate conspiracy allegedly masterminded by the supposed victim herself.

According to investigators, Thalassery native Priyanka had arrived from Dubai carrying approximately 18 sovereigns of gold, which she was supposed to hand over to Jabir, a Mattannur native waiting outside the airport.

Instead, police say, Priyanka conspired wiath three Kannur natives, Sreelal, Prince and Subith, to stage her own abduction and divert the smuggled gold.

Investigators have found that Priyanka planned the entire operation, instructing Sreelal to bring a vehicle to the airport with her husband and children inside. Police suspect she deliberately used her unsuspecting family as a cover to execute the gold theft.

The plan unravelled around 11 am when the Karipur Airport Station House Officer, who was investigating gold-smuggling cases near the airport, noticed a man desperately running behind the blue Baleno as it sped away after picking up Priyanka.

Suspecting a kidnapping, the officer immediately launched a pursuit that continued for nearly 12 kilometres towards Pulikkal Andiyorkunnu.

The chase took a dramatic turn when the Baleno, despite being cornered by the police jeep, suddenly reversed and escaped. However, the getaway was short-lived, as police eventually intercepted the vehicle.

The man seen chasing the car on foot was subsequently identified as Jabir, the intended recipient of the smuggled gold. He was also arrested.

Police have categorically ruled out the involvement of Priyanka's husband, saying he was completely unaware of the smuggling conspiracy and the staged kidnapping. Investigators believe his presence, along with the children, was intended to make the operation appear like an ordinary family journey.

The three arrested Kannur natives, Sreelal, Prince and Subith, are reportedly accused in several other criminal cases.

Police are now expanding their investigation to identify those who financed the gold consignment, examine possible links to customs personnel and establish whether a larger smuggling network was involved.

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