Hawala racket: Police write to I-T Dept, FIU for detailed probe

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, March 5

For detailed financial investigations into two Hawala rackets busted by the Amritsar Rural Police in the recent past, the police have written to the Income Tax Department and the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) in this connection.

The police had two days ago arrested Raman Kumar, a grocery trader, a resident of Namak Mandi area in the walled city, with Rs 45 lakh of alleged drug money. Besides, they had also seized Rs 55.90 lakh of alleged drug proceeds from a spice and natural gum trader, Rajiv Jain, on February 21.

Their names had cropped up during the quizzing of foreign-based drug cartel members arrested by the police with the contraband.

“We are writing to the IT and the FIU for a detailed probe into the drug and Hawala rackets. It would help the police during further probe and in nailing their accomplices,” said Amritsar Rural Police SSP Satinder Singh while confirming the development.

During investigation, the police found virtual numbers on which the two traders used to talk to their accomplices in Pakistan, Dubai, Canada, the US and the UK, said a senior police official privy to the investigations while preferring anonymity.

We are still investigating the module with which they used to transact money to their foreign-based accomplices, he said while adding that the accused, Rajiv Jain, was brought on extended police remand and sent to a joint interrogation cell where other agencies were also questioning him.

It has been learnt that several other traders in Majith Mandi area have come under the radar of the police for running Hawala rackets. However, they were tight-lipped over this and said a probe was underway in this regard.