Sleuths of Thondi Customs Preventive Unit (CPU) seized cash of ₹62,25,200 from a bus passenger at SP Pattinam in the district on Friday.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs and directive of V. Rajkumar Moses, Assistant Commissioner, Customs, Ramanathapuram division, a special team led by Rajkumar, Thondi CPU, intercepted a private bus enroute to Thondi at SP Pattinam.
When the sleuths conducted a check on the passengers, they found that H. Abdul Rahub, 50, from Thondi had concealed a huge amount of cash, mostly in denominations of ₹2,000 and ₹500, in a bag kept below the seat. He also carried a portion of the money in a cloth waist belt, officials said.
Interrogated, he claimed that a person in Chennai asked him to hand over the money to a contact in Thondi.
As he could not account for the money and made contradictory statements, the customs officials handed him to the Income Tax department in Madurai along with the seized money.