Following the recent announcement of the Telangana Assembly elections timetable by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Hyderabad police have seized a substantial amount of money and gold from multiple locations throughout the city. On Tuesday, the police officials announced the seizure of a minimum of Rs 4.45 crore, 30 kg of gold, and 300 kg of silver. This action was taken immediately following the implementation of the model code of conduct in the state of Telangana. The white sedan was intercepted at Nizam College at approximately 7:30 pm on Monday by officials under the direction of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), A Chandra Shekar. Upon inspection, many bags were discovered within the vehicle.
#Hyderabad– In a span of less than 48 hours since the Election dates were announced, Close to Rs 4 Cr cash and gold worth Rs 7.5 Cr was confiscated In Hyderabad limits.
— @Coreena Enet Suares (@CoreenaSuares2) October 10, 2023
Breakdown-
October 9th
1. Abids- 7 kg gold and 300 kg silver were seized and persons arrested. The gold… pic.twitter.com/9tLMdBNpeY
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), during the process of bag inspection, law enforcement officials discovered 7 kilogrammes of unadulterated gold biscuits and 295 kilogrammes of unadulterated silver, with an estimated value of 7.50 crore. The individuals involved in this incident were identified as Sai Kumar, the driver, and K Venkatesh and M Siva Prasad, who were in the vehicle.
Nevertheless, the individuals failed to provide supporting evidence in the form of bills or documents to validate their assertions. The individual presented a document pertaining to the transportation of gold and silver, which requires comprehensive verification by the Income Tax and Goods and Services Tax departments and the Static Surveillance Team (SST) of the Election Cell for additional inquiry. Venkateshwarlu stated that the confiscated material will be transferred to these authorities for further investigation.
On Monday night, the law enforcement authorities confiscated a sum of ₹15 lakh in currency from a motorised two-wheeler located in the Puranapul area. Additionally, a total of ₹30 lakh was seized from a vehicle situated at Narayanamma Engineering College in close proximity to Shaikpet. Furthermore, a sum of ₹9.3 lakh was apprehended from an individual at Chaderghat.
On Tuesday afternoon, the task team led by the commissioner, known as North Zone, in collaboration with the Banjara Hills Police, apprehended four individuals and confiscated unrecorded cash amounting to ₹3.35 crore from a vehicle in Banjara Hills. The individuals that were apprehended have been identified as Chimpireddy Hanumantha Reddy, Bachala Prabhakar, Mandala Sriramulu Reddy, and Mandala Uday Kumar Reddy. They are all inhabitants of either Hyderabad or the adjacent Rangareddy district.
As to the statement provided by Deputy Commissioner of Police Joel Davis, Hanumantha Reddy revealed that he, in collaboration with three other individuals, collected and distributed Hawala funds across multiple locations within the twin cities. A year ago, an office was established in Aurora Colony, Banjara Hills for the purpose of conducting Hawala transactions.
Typically, Prabhakar is entrusted with the task of receiving customer orders for Hawala transactions. Subsequently, Hanumantha Reddy, Sriramulu Reddy, and Uday Kumar Reddy carry out the collection and distribution of Hawala funds in accordance with the specific requirements of each customer. To facilitate the transfer of a sum of 10 million rupees through the informal hawala system, a fee of 25,000 rupees was levied. Under the guidance of Prabhakar, Hanumantha Reddy, together with a group of individuals, gathered illicit funds through the Hawala system from several locations inside the city, namely Begumbazar, Nampally, Goshamahal, and Jubilee Hills. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the sum in question was ‘hawala’ funds intended for distribution across multiple locations in Hyderabad.
The Hyderabad Police Commissioner, CV Anand, has urged anybody carrying cash or gold over Rs 50,000 to ensure they possess appropriate proof of ownership and necessary documentation. This is advised in order to prevent any potential complications with tax officials or the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Hyderabad Police Commissioner has additionally said that prompt implementation of stringent measures will be undertaken, encompassing heightened enforcement of legislation pertaining to the transit of cash, gold, and spirits. In order to curtail the influx of monetary resources and material goods during the election campaign, we have initiated rigorous inspections of vehicles and conducted thorough searches of persons who are deemed suspicious.
Additionally, there will be rigorous surveillance of bank and digital transactions, strict regulation of firearm deposits and retrievals, eradication of all political wall writings and posters, and the implementation of flying squads and inter-departmental check posts.
