Gujarati duo held with over Rs 99 Lakh hawala money in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: In a major haul, Hyderabad police on Friday caught two persons, both natives of Gujarat, while transporting a whopping Rs 99.36 lakh in cash. The money, in denominations of Rs 2,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200, was to be allegedly handed over to their ‘customers’ in the city.

The duo was also carrying a code, one half of a Rs 10 note. The money was to be delivered to the client who had the other half of the currency note.

The police have handed over the seized cash to the Income Tax department. Speaking to the media later, police commissioner Anjani Kumar denied the bust or seized cash had anything to do with upcoming polls in the State.

The accused were mere carriers who did not know the identity of the customers, he said.
The accused, Bhavesh Patel (36) and Suresh Kumar Dayabhai Patel, are residents of Gandhinagar in Gujarat. They were nabbed based on a tip-off. “Upon inquiry, accused confessed the money was a hawala transaction. They also said they were deputed by operators Ankit Patel and Amit N Mehta who are based in Gujarat,” the commissioner said.  

The operators had given the carrier boys half a Rs 10 note as a code to identify the right client. The client in Hyderabad allegedly has the other half of the note.