TN police arrested four Muslim youths after Rs 10 crore cash allegedly used for Hawala transactions was seized from them.
Constables at Pallikonda police station in Vellore district were on patrolling duty on October 29 night when they spotted some people taking wrapped goods from a car to a truck in the area adjacent to the national highway. Police constables went to the spot and questioned them. The four men made contradictory statements. Upon opening the bundle, it was found that there was money in it. They could not produce proper documents related to the money they had. Hence the police seized the car and the truck, which contained approximately Rs 10 crores and arrested the four men, identified as M Nisar Ahmed (33) from the Broadway area of Chennai, Waseem Akram (19) from Madurai, M Sarbuddin (37) and Nasser (42) from the Kozhikode area in Kerala. Officials said the confiscated Rs 10 crore will be handed over to the Income Tax department in Vellore.
“Expecting possible raids by NIA, CBI, IT any time, PFI and its associates moved cash, important documents, arms including bombs, weapons, to safer places. Now after the raids and ban, the hidden money could have been moved to safer places like Kerala. The ten crore was moved from Mannadi, a Muslim traders dominated area in Chennai near High court. They are learnt to be members of banned PFI. There is a possibility for a hawala deal. However, the seizure helped to avert a major conspiracy as they were tasked to give three crore to contacts in Coimbatore and the balance to people in Calicut in Kerala ” points out a police officer.
“Nizar Ahmed, a native of Mannadi, received instruction to smuggle the cash and car from Riyaz, who resides in Dubai. Nizar runs a store by the name of “Sameera Burqha Shop”. Riyaz is a close friend of Nizar Ahmed’s father. Riyaz reportedly instructed Nizar to pack Rs 10 crore in 48 bundles and hand over the money to a lorry driver named Sarbudin, who is based out of Kerala. Nizar Ahmed carried the cash in a car while transferring the money, police intercepted them. Police arrested Nizar Ahmed, his driver Wasim Akram along with two Kerala-based lorry drivers Sarbudin and Naazar” sources say.
Interestingly, the local media merely said 10 crore seized and no names and details were mentioned on the four accused. A probe by central agencies will throw more lights and persons behind it.
