Mananthavady: In a joint operation, the Customs Preventive Wing and Wayanad police seized ₹3.15 crore in hawala money and arrested five men from Kozhikode in the early hours of Thursday.

The accused are Kandiyil Salman (36), a native of Menmunda near Vadakara; Ambalaparambath Veettil Asif (24), a native of Vadakara; Purathoottayil Veettil Rassack (38), a native of Villyapalli, Vadakara; Chettiyamveettil Muhammed Fasil (30), a native of Menmunda, Vadakara; and Purakkal Veettil Appu alias Muhammed (32), a native of Thamarassery, Kozhikode.

According to a Customs communiqué, the currency being smuggled into Kerala from Karnataka was intercepted at Mananthavady with support from the Wayanad police. Customs officials had been tracking vehicle movements and planned the operation based on intelligence indicating that a gang was smuggling contraband by sending cars to Bengaluru every week.

The arrests were made by a special squad under the District Police Chief and a team from the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Kozhikode, led by Joint Commissioner Shashikanth Sharma and Deputy Commissioner Shyam Nath.

Officials said the hawala money was recovered from a secret compartment in the vehicle.

Initially, Asif, Rassack and Muhammed Fasil were taken into custody along with the money during a vehicle check in the early hours. The alleged mastermind, Salman, and his associate, Muhammed, were arrested later.

A vehicle inspection launched at Chettappalam following a tip-off about narcotics smuggling through the route led the officials to bust the hawala money racket. While inspecting a Hyundai Creta (KL 18 AG 4957), the officials grew suspicious and took the vehicle to the Mananthavady police station.

Later, a 10-member Customs team, along with the police, conducted a detailed search and recovered bundles of ₹500, ₹200 and ₹100 notes concealed in specially built secret boxes under the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat.

Salman’s role emerged during the interrogation of the three men arrested initially. The carriers had started their journey from KR Nagar in Bengaluru with the money bound for Vadakara. The cash had reportedly been brought to the pickup point in plastic sacks on two scooters.

Police tracked Salman’s mobile phone to a location near the Mananthavady court premises and detained him along with his friend Muhammed. Their Maruti Swift car was also seized. The money and the accused were later handed over to the Customs Department.

According to police, the three youngsters acted as carriers transporting money from Bengaluru to Vadakara under Salman’s direction. Salman and Muhammed are believed to be key operatives of a Gulf-based hawala network facilitating the illegal movement of funds between Bengaluru and Kerala.

During questioning, both reportedly admitted to working as commission agents.

The seized money was taken to the State Bank of India, Mananthavady branch, in plastic bags and counted using machines. The accused were taken to the Customs office for detailed interrogation.