PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 31

Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) will probe into the details of hawala and other bank transactions of Manohar Lal, alias Anthony Pehalwan. SSP Tarn Taran, Dhruman Nimbale, said the agency was requested to submit the report within two weeks. According to the police, there were several complaints against Pehalwan regarding his involvement in the illegal trade.

He was produced in the Patti Court after expiry of police remand on Monday. The court has sent him to judicial custody now. He was arrested by the Tarn Taran police on May 25 in connection with hawala payments of drugs seized from a drug peddler Nishan Singh of Bandala village on April 5. Nishan was held with 3 kg of heroin valued at Rs15 crore in the international market. Pehalwan was booked under Sections 27 (A) and 29 of the NDPS Act.

A police team, led by ASI Nirmal Singh of the anti-narcotic cell, produced Pehalwan in the Patti court. The police had made elaborate security arrangement around the court complex when he was present in the court.

“We will bring him on production warrant once we get the report from the FIU which would analyse suspicious financial transactions. The investigations would help in tracing his contacts and nailing them in case they were found part of the alleged hawala racket,” said Nimbale.

Investigations carried out so far revealed that the contacts Anthony had in Pakistan were not wrestlers. The SSP said he had made alleged hawala transactions worth Rs 89.50 lakh. The police were looking his contacts in Haryana, Delhi and in Canada, besides other parts of the country.