Seizures of large amounts of money in old and new currency notes have been reported almost every day since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 8 November demonetisation announcement.
Since Tuesday evening, police have seized Rs 10.24 crore in old and new notes from Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Bengaluru.
Maharashtra
Police seized over Rs 1 crore in new currency notes near Thane’s Civil Hospital on Tuesday. Three people – Chintan Rambhia, Govrav Pichar and Harish Raut – were detained.
The trio were going to exchange new Rs 2,000 notes totalling Rs 1 crore for the defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes totalling Rs 1.20 crore, thus charging 20 percent commission.Ashutosh Dumbre, Joint Commissioner of Police
The incident comes a day after two people were held with Rs 23.70 lakh in neighbouring Navi Mumbai on 13 December. In yet another case, three persons were held in Thane’s Ulhasnagar after they were found with Rs 9.76 lakh in Rs 2,000 notes.
Pune
Four people were arrested in Wakad for possessing Rs 67 lakh in cash.
More details are awaited.
Delhi
Five people were detained in Delhi early on 14 December after the IT Department and the Crime Branch jointly seized Rs 3.25 crore in old notes from the accused at Hotel Taksh in Karol Bagh.
The five have been handed over to the IT Department and Enforcement Directorate, Ravindra Yadav, Joint CP (Crime Branch) said.
The probe is on. The group used to take old currency from Delhi and convert it into new/white money in Mumbai. They have been working on this since 9 November. They used to take money by air to Mumbai by packing cash with wires and keeping it with telephone equipment in check-in baggage.
Police said that specialists had been hired to pack the notes in a manner that would render them undetectable by airport scanners. During interrogation, it was found that the money belongs to Bombay-based hawala operators.
Goa
Calangute police arrested three people for possession of Rs 24 lakh in new currency notes on Tuesday night. A probe is underway.
Punjab
The Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 2.18 crore in Chandigarh - including Rs 17.74 lakh in new notes and Rs 52 lakh in Rs 100 notes.
Karnataka
The Income Tax department seized Rs 2.25 crore in new currency notes in Bengaluru, on Wednesday morning.
Bengaluru Police arrested a gang of five people who robbed a businessman of Rs 10 lakh in Rs 2000 notes. Around Rs 9 lakh has been recovered and an investigation is on in the matter.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
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