Rajasthan Police seize Rs 2.24 crore in suspected hawala cash, 2 detained

KOTA: Police in Rajasthan’s Kota district seized Rs 2.24 crore in suspected hawala cash from a luxury car allegedly travelling from Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat and detained two persons during a late-night checking drive, officials said on Wednesday.According to Superintendent of Police (Kota Rural) Sujit Shankar, the vehicle bearing a Gujarat registration number was intercepted at a police barricade on Modak Road in the Chechat area on Tuesday night.Police said the driver initially attempted to flee after being signalled to stop, but personnel managed to intercept the vehicle and detain the two occupants.“During questioning, both occupants failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the cash. A detailed search of the vehicle led to the recovery of Rs 2.24 crore concealed inside two specially-made secret compartments beneath the driver and co-passenger seats,” the SP said.The cash was seized under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which empowers police to confiscate property suspected to be linked to an offence or criminal activity.The detained individuals were identified as Mukesh and Suthar Bhavik, both residents of Gujarat.Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo allegedly worked for a Gujarat-based hawala network and had collected the money from company operatives in Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj before heading towards Ahmedabad for delivery, police said.Officials added that the Income Tax Department has been informed about the seizure, while further investigation is underway to determine the source of the cash and its intended use.The operation was conducted under the supervision of ASP Ramkalyan Meena and DSP Ghanshyam Meena by a special police team comprising probationary RPS officer Ankit Kudi and Chechat SHO Uttam Singh.