Rs 1.2 crore seized from bus passenger in Wayanad: Excise dept

Wayanad (Kerala), Nov 2 (PTI) The Excise Department on Sunday said it had seized Rs 1.2 crore in cash, suspected to be hawala money, from a passenger travelling on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Menangadi here.

Excise officials said the money was recovered from a passenger identified as Ammathur Abdul Razzak, a native of Malappuram, during a vehicle inspection carried out as part of an anti-narcotics drive.

Razzak was travelling on a bus from Bengaluru to Kozhikode when excise officials boarded the vehicle and inspected passengers’ luggage.

"During the search, officials found a bag containing Rs 1.2 crore in cash," an officer said.

During questioning, Razzak told officials that the bag had been handed over to him by an unidentified person for delivery to another individual in Kozhikode. "He claimed he was unaware of both their identities," the officer said.

Excise officials suspect Razzak was acting as a courier for a hawala network operating between Kerala and Karnataka.

The department said the accused and the seized money would be handed over to the police or the Income Tax Department for further investigation. PTI TBA SSK