Rs 3.35 crore Hawala money seized in Hyderabad in run-up to polls

Hyderabad, Oct 10 (IANS) Police in Hyderabad seized Rs 3.35 crore Hawala money during vehicle checking on Tuesday in view of the next month's Assembly elections.

The police apprehended four persons for illegal possession of the cash, which they were carrying in a Kia car.

The seizure was made when the sleuths of Commissioner’s Task Force North Zone along with Banjara Hills police were conducting vehicle checking at TV-9 Signal Junction, Road No.3, Banjara Hills in the limits of Banjara Hills Police Station.

Those arrested were identified as Chimpireddy Hanumantha Reddy, Bachala Prabhakar, Mandala Sriramulu Reddy, and Mandala Uday Kumar Reddy, all residents of Hyderabad or neighboring Rangareddy district.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Joel Davis, Hanumantha Reddy disclosed that he, along with three others persons, used to collect Hawala money and deliver it at various places in twin cities.

For Hawala transactions they had opened an office in Aurora Colony, Banjara Hills a year ago.

Usually, Prabhakar received the orders from customers for Hawala amounts and on his directions, Hanumantha Reddy, Sriramulu Reddy, and Uday Kumar Reddy collect and distribute Hawala amount as per customer requirements.

For delivering 1 crore Hawala amount, he used to charge Rs.25,000. On the directions of Prabhakar, Hanumantha Reddy along with other persons collected Hawala amounts from Begumbazar, Nampally, Goshamahal, and Jubilee Hills areas in the city.

They were shifting the collected Hawala amount to their office in a Kia car. The Hawala money was seized during intensified vehicle checking launched by police in Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana following announcement of assembly election schedule by the Election Commission.

On the first of the checking on Monday, police had also seized 7 kg gold and 295 kg silver, totally worth Rs 7.50 crore in Abids area of Hyderabad. The precious metals were being transported in a car. Driver Sai Kumar and two other occupants K. Venkatesh and M. Shiva Prasad told police that they are employees of Caps Gold Pvt Ltd and were transporting the valuables from the head office in Secunderabad to sub-branch in Gunfoundry. As they failed to provide relevant documents but gave only a delivery paper, the police said they will verify it through the IT and GST department and also State Surveillance Team of Elections Cell for further enquiry.

Meanwhile, police also seized Rs 25 lakh from a vehicle during checking on the outskirts of Hyderabad under the limits of Chaitanyapuri Police Station limits. Police said two persons carrying the cash could not provide valid papers and they were detained. Hyderabad police also seized Rs 15 lakh during checking at Puranapool Gandhi Statue, Rs 30 lakh at Shaikpet, and Rs.9.3 lakh from Panchasheela X road.

Police also seized Rs.6.55 lakh during checking at Ibrahimpatnam in Rangareddy district near Hyderabad.

Police said Rs.8 lakh cash was also seized in the limits of Warangal police Commissionerate. In Suryapet district, Rs.1.90 lakh was seized at Mattapalli checkpost. Police also seized over Rs.11 lakh in two separate cases in Sangareddy district.