)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with the Income Tax (I-T) department of Mumbai, has busted a “well-oiled” hawala network, recovering four trucks with 102 bags of cash, jewellery and diamonds estimated to be worth Rs 25 crore. In a night-long operation outside the Mumbai Central station, which started late on Monday evening, the investigators detained 45 people acting as couriers.
The income tax department has roped in bank employees to count the cash. An income tax official, who did not want to be identified, said the department would inquire into multiple angles, including hawala, money-laundering, cricket betting, and politicians’ money. He added it would be premature to give the motive at this juncture.
“It looks like a hawala transaction. The cash and jewellery seized might be part of cricket betting or terror funding. However, the exact motive will be known only after a thorough probe,” an I-T official, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard.
Also Read
He said the home ministry had already given an advisory about transfer of such unaccounted or unclaimed money to be used for terrorist funding. Mumbai and Gujarat are two major centres known for cricket betting, he added.
Senior NIA officials said they had received specific information that hawala money was being transported in bags from Mumbai Central station to three places, Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil told Business Standard that necessary police personnel, as desired by the I-T department, were immediately deployed for escort and security.
“The NIA had received the information, which was developed by the team. Since NIA doesn’t deal with cash, we asked the I-T department to evaluate the recoveries. We have so far not found it to be linked to a terror network but the investigation is still in progress. This seems to be a well-oiled hawala network and the people detained are only couriers,” said a senior officer of the NIA.
“Whatever is accounted for will be returned. Chances of cash being accounted for are less. If it was accounted for, it would not have taken this route. Some packets have addresses and names. Angadias have come to claim the bags,” Swatantra Kumar, director-general of income tax (investigations) told reporters. Cash being carried in bags is abnormal, he added.
Members of the investigation team said 50 bags contained only cash, while the remaining bags had both cash and other valuable items.
NIA members said the people detained were Angadias who are part of the unofficial postal service which transports money, jewellery and diamonds to various parts of the country, especially Gujarat. The investigators said some of the Angadias were part of registered companies.
“It seems the diamonds and jewellery were meant for Surat but the source of these diamonds has to be ascertained. The I-T department will continue the investigation and find out who were owners of these diamonds and jewellery. The owners are the real culprits who need to be traced,” added the NIA officer.
Explaining the role of Angadias in the racket, NIA members said these people board the night train from Mumbai to Gujarat and deliver the bags to different people. “These couriers used to return to Mumbai during the day and board another train at night. Since a lot of people use the rail network, they wanted to use the crowd to carry their illegal business,” said the NIA officer.
