Karnataka Transport Bus Passenger Caught with ₹1.2 Crore in Cash Linked to Hawala

Significant Cash Seizure in Karnataka

The Excise Department has seized a staggering ₹1.2 crore in cash from a passenger traveling on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Menangadi. Authorities suspect that this money is connected to hawala operations.

This information was disclosed by the department on Sunday. Excise officials reported that the cash was discovered during a search of the bus as part of an anti-drug campaign, with the money being recovered from a passenger named Ammatur Abdul Razak, a resident of Malappuram.

According to an official, Razak was on a bus heading from Bengaluru to Kozhikode. The officials conducted a thorough inspection of the passengers' belongings on the bus.

During the search, the officials found a bag containing the ₹1.2 crore in cash. Razak claimed during questioning that an unknown individual had given him the bag to deliver to someone else in Kozhikode.

The official stated, 'Razak asserted that he had no information about the person who handed him the bag or the individual it was meant for.' The excise officials suspect that Razak was acting as a courier for a hawala network operating between Kerala and Karnataka.

The department indicated that both the accused and the seized cash will be handed over to the police or the income tax department for further investigation.