Excise seize ₹1.36 crore hawala cash from Malappuram man in Wayanad
Excise Deputy Commissioner A J Shaji said initial investigations suggest that Rassack was merely a carrier and was unaware of the contents of his bag.
Excise Deputy Commissioner A J Shaji said initial investigations suggest that Rassack was merely a carrier and was unaware of the contents of his bag.
Excise Deputy Commissioner A J Shaji said initial investigations suggest that Rassack was merely a carrier and was unaware of the contents of his bag.
Kalpetta: The Excise Department on Sunday seized ₹1.36 crore in suspected hawala money from a passenger travelling in a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Meenangadi in Wayanad.
The passenger, identified as Ammathur Abdul Rassack, a native of Vallikkunnu in Malappuram, had boarded the Bengaluru–Kozhikode service.
Excise Deputy Commissioner A J Shaji said initial investigations suggest that Rassack was merely a carrier and was unaware of the contents of his bag. “He did not know the person who handed over the bag, nor those who were supposed to receive the money,” Shaji said.
The case has been handed over to the Income Tax Department for further investigation into the source and intended destination of the cash.
The seizure was made during an inspection led by Sulthan Bathery Excise Circle Inspector M K Sunil and Range Inspector Baburaj, as part of a statewide drive ordered by State Excise Commissioner M K Ajithkumar.
The excise team involved in the operation included Assistant Inspector M P Haridas, Preventive Officer K V Prakasan, Civil Excise Officers V B Nishad, M T Amal Thomas, M M Binu, K. Ajmal, Women Civil Excise Officer P M Sini, and Driver Preventive Officer K K Balachandran. Officials said the operation was part of an intensified crackdown on illegal financial transactions and smuggling activities across Kerala.