Crores in new currency seized from across country

Large amounts of cash in new currency were seized at different places in the country as raids by the police and Income Tax department continued on Friday too.

In Mumbai, the police seized Rs 1.40 crore from three persons riding in a car on Juhu-Versova Link Road in suburban Andheri.

The money was in the new Rs 2,000 notes, police said.

Police stopped the car during vehicular checking near Juhu Tara Complex at around 7 pm. Upon checking, the cash was discovered.

The three persons who were riding in the car were being questioned, said Mumbai police’s spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe.

On Thursday, police had seized Rs 10.10 crore in suburban Chembur. Most of it was in the demonetised currency.

In Rajkot, police seized Rs 16.35 lakh cash in valid currencies in two separate incidents and detained three persons.

The cash comprised Rs 16 lakh in denomination of Rs 2,000 and rest in Rs 100 bill, police said.

In the first incident, one Hiren Joshi was nabbed by Bhaktinagar police with 400 notes of Rs 2,000.

"Based on a tip-off, we intercepted Joshi near Kothariya colony area late last night. Upon searching his bag, we found Rs 8 lakh in cash. All notes were of Rs 2,000 denomination," said Bhaktinagar police sub-inspector M J Dhadhal.

According to police, Joshi told them he has been asked by a person to deliver these notes to an auto spare parts dealer who has a shop on 80-feet ring road.

"Since Joshi could not give any specific details about the source of cash, we have detained him and informed Income Tax department about the cash seizure. We have also launched a hunt to nab the supplier as well as receiver of these notes,” Dhadhal added.

In another incident on the outskirts of Rajkot, police nabbed two persons with Rs 8.35 lakh cash, including Rs 8 lakh in Rs 2000 bills and Rs 35,000 in Rs 100.

“Two persons on a bike were intercepted by our staff when they tried to drive away upon seeing the police near Pedak Road Gate. Upon searching their bag, we found Rs 8.35 lakh cash, including 400 notes of Rs 2,000 and 350 notes of Rs 100,” said ‘B’ division police inspector D H Bhatt.

The duo was identified as Ashok Koshiya and Kaushik Rajyaguru.

“They claimed to be wholesale dealers but failed to give any satisfactory explanation about the cash in their possession. We have taken them in custody and informed I-T department for further action,” said Bhatt.

In West Bengal, the police seized Rs 1.48 crore in demonetised notes in Kolkata and Rs 8 lakh in Rs 2,000 notes in West Midnapore district, and arrested five persons in the two cases.

Kolkata Police sleuths seized Rs 1,48,50,000, rpt in old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, from an organisation in central Kolkata and arrested three persons in this connection, a senior officer of the city police said.

Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police Anti-Rowdy Section arrested three persons -- Pradip Roy, Arun Singh and Sanjiv Ghosh -- in a raid from their office late on Thursday night.

During questioning, the trio allegedly said that the amount was meant to be delivered to one Govinda Agarwal as part of a business deal.

“We are probing whether this was part of a hawala deal or not,” the officer said.

Meanwhile in West Midnapore district, the police seized Rs 8 lakh in Rs 2,000 notes near Debra and arrested a man who runs an NGO, and his driver.

Police said the force intercepted Purna Sankar Ganguly’s car and seized Rs 8 lakh in Rs 2,000 notes, which he allegedly exchanged for Rs 10 lakhs in demonetised notes.

Ganguly was returning from Debra and heading to Midnapore after exchanging the notes from someone who took Rs 2 lakh as commission.

Police said they were investigating how Ganguly obtained so much cash in Rs 2,000 notes and if any bank official was involved in the case.

The Income Tax department in New Delhi seized Rs 1.4 crore cash, including Rs 8 lakh in new currency, in searches on the premises of a civil contractor here as part of its anti-black money drive post demonetisation.

Officials said the seizure was made from a civil sub contractor identified as P L Soni, from a location in the Karol Bagh area.

They said the department conducted the searches based on a tip-off of alleged illegal cash being hoarded at this location.

The department also conducted a survey operation at the Krishna Nagar branch of Axis bank here in connection with a probe, they said.

IMAGE: Police officers show new currency notes worth Rs 40 lakh which were allegedly recovered by Nalasopara Shiv Sena corporator Dhananjay Gawades car in Thana district, Mumbai on Friday. PTI Photo