Nalgonda district police on Sunday seized Rs. 3.04 crore from two persons, suspected to have been engaged by a ‘hawala’ operator for smuggling money from Hyderabad to Chennai, after a chase.
The currency bundles, all of Rs. 500 denomination, were hidden inside specially made secret chambers beneath the seats. Three inter-district check-posts were set up in the district as per the Election Commission of India’s guidelines in the backdrop of ensuring Assembly elections.
“A white car did not stop when our police team waved them to stop at Madugulapally toll-gate check-post in the early hours of Sunday,” SP Apoorva Rao told The Hindu. On being told about this, Miryalguda DSP Venkatagiri swung into action alerting all the police teams deployed across the district, the SP said.
The persons driving the car sped past the police teams when they tried to intercept it at Edulapally signal point. Messages were flashed on police communication network. Entire teams at the field level erected barricades at different places while police teams continued to chase the white car.
Finally, the car was stopped at Vadapally integrated check-post. There were two persons Vipul Kumar Bhai, 46, and Amar Sinha Jala, 52. “When they declined to divulge why they were speeding away, we thoroughly checked, Rs. 3.04 crore were found in secret chambers beneath the seats,” the SP said.
Interrogation of the duo suggested that the money was being taken from Hyderabad as part of a ‘hawala’ transaction. The accused were working for a hawala agent called Shivam Bhai of Telangana. The money was supposed to be delivered to a person called Sunny Bhai in Chennai, officers associated with the investigation of the case said seeking anonymity.
A case was booked against them under different sections of law. Since election schedule was announced, Rs. 7.39 crore, Rs. 40 lakh worth liquor and Rs. 80 lakh worth gold were seized by Nalgonda police.
