Two men from Kerala held in Delhi with Rs 85 lakh cash; hawala angle under probe

New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): Delhi Police have apprehended two-bike-borne men and seized Rs 85 lakh suspected to be “hawala money” during routine checks here in the national capital’s Pragati Maidan, officials said on Wednesday.

The income tax department officials and Enforcement Directorate have been alerted about the seizure and a probe has been initiated, they said.

Both the accused who hail from Kerala have been detained for questioning after they could not produce any documents related to the money.

“Both accused are being interrogated in custody,” officials said.

A team of Delhi police were undertaking routine checkings near Pragati Maidan on Tuesday evening when the two bike-borne men tried to escape when they were directed to stop by a police constable.

“During the search, a cash of Rs 85 lakh was recovered from the pillion rider,” officials said.

Police are probing whether the recovered cash is hawala money, they said.

Further investigation is underway.

Last week, a delivery agent and his associate were allegedly robbed of Rs 2 lakh at gunpoint by four unidentified men inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel when the victims were going towards Gurugram in a cab to deliver the money.

The Crime Branch said that the tunnel was selected as the suitable location for the heist since the robbers felt that there would be no good samaritans stopping by to help the victim inside the tunnel.

“They selected the tunnel as the location to commit the crime thinking that other cars would not stop inside the tunnel. Hence there would be no interference,” Ravinder Yadav, the Special CP of the Crime Branch said told reporters in June.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch had said, “Seven people have been arrested so far, five by the Crime Branch. Rs 5 lakhs have been recovered till now, more may be recovered.”