Luxury bus firm involved in hawala racket, claim police

Jalandhar, July 30

Following the seizure of Rs 2.93 crore currency and $3,100 hawala money from a car in Jalandhar, the police have identified a network of individuals and companies involved in this racket.

Puneet Sood, alias Gandhi, was arrested a few days ago after the police intercepted his vehicle in the Bashirpura area and discovered the illegal money. Sood confessed to his involvement in the hawala operation, disclosing that the money was brought from Delhi. Sood was previously caught with Rs 10 crore in hawala money, too.

Sources have revealed that the hawala money was regularly transported via a luxury bus company operating on the Delhi-Amritsar route. The police suspect that the bus company or its drivers and conductors are part of the network. A notice has been issued to the company as part of the ongoing probe.

Sources further indicate that approximately 10 money exchangers have been identified. The police are working to unearth the full extent of the network and anticipate more arrests in the coming days.

Sood’s modus operandi involved disembarking in Jalandhar via bus with the funds and returning to Delhi the following day. The police are now scrutinising the bus routes and schedules to gather more evidence and disrupt the illegal operations.

However, senior officials related to the case said nothing could be revealed as the investigation was still underway.

Notice to company

Its buses are operating on the Delhi-Amritsar route. The police suspect that the bus company or its drivers and conductors are part of the network. A notice has been issued to the company as part of the ongoing probe.