Kerala: 3,000 Feared To Have Come In Contact With Ameer B, The Coronavirus Carrier Suspected Of Being Involved In Gold Smuggling 

At least 3,000 persons are feared to have come in touch with Ameer B, a Gulf returnee, who tested positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Kerala’s Kasaragod district on 20 March.

Ameer B, a resident of Eriyal in Kasaragod district, was asked to be in self-quarantine but he went on travel- and visit-spree, attending two marriages, a funeral and a football match.

The patient reportedly had fever when he landed but did not seek immediate treatment. He opted to go to the Kasaragod Government Hospital only after another person in the city tested positive for the pandemic virus.

The hospital authorities asked him to get admitted in the isolation ward until results of the tests came, but he went away saying he would return if the situation aggravated. It was only after his tests returned positive, that he was put in the isolation ward of the hospital.

He is yet to come clean on his visits and travel. The main reason for his reluctance seems to stem from the fact that he is allegedly involved in smuggling gold.

Gold was reportedly recovered from Ameer B at Karippur airport and he was allegedly helped by an immigration officer.

Local media reports said that his passport had been seized by Customs officials as he did not pay duty for the gold he brought.

Two political leaders are reportedly now under a cloud for helping Ameer B.

On 21 March, Kasaragod district collector D Sajith Babu said Ameer B was not providing full details about the places he visited and events he attended. He is reported to have even donated blood at Mangaluru.

A rough sketch of the Gulf returnee’s visits now show that he had travelled in Kerala’s northern district of Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod.

Health Department officials are tracking his primary contacts with at least 40 of them being isolated.

The Gulf returnee attended a funeral of a relative at Thaliparambu in Kannur district where he had come in direct contact with 20 persons.

The infected person had arrived from the Gulf on 11 March at Kozhikode Karippur International airport and stayed at a lodge there. During his stay, he visited several shops, including jewellery joints.

From his home, he went to a relative’s house where marriage preparations were on. On 13 and 14 March, he spent his time at the relative’s place.

Then, he attended a football match, took part in a child-naming ceremony before going to Adoor to attend another wedding.

It was here that Ameer B shook hands with many people, including two Kerala MLAs, besides visiting shops and commercial establishments.

The problem with this Kasaragod patient is that he had been an autorickshaw driver before and hence has a large number of friends, who he met during his visit. Kerala Police have now filed a case against him.

On Saturday, Kerala reported 12 more Covid-19 positive cases with six of them from Kasaragod. In the last 48 hours, 12 persons have tested positive for Coronavirus in Kasaragod.

Fifty-two persons have tested positive for Coronavirus in Kerala. Besides, nearly 53,000 persons are under home quarantine conditions.