CHENNAI: Two persons were detained by the police, who have also seized `3.42 crore in demonetised notes of `1,000 and `500 from them, at JJ Lakshmi Avenue, Manapakkam near Nandambakkam, on Saturday afternoon.
Three men were waiting in a van to meet a resident of JJ Nagar to exchange the old notes for new ones when they were nabbed by the police patrol.
A senior police officer said Kannan (42) of Besant Nagar, a transport manager at a private hospital, and Krishna Mohan (53), a sub-contractor were nabbed by the police. A search has been launched for one Prasad who is said to have arranged for the meeting.
“On Saturday at around 2.30 am, when a patrol vehicle was closing in on a parked van in one of the streets in Nandambakkam, three people from the van allegedly tried to flee. This made it more suspicious and two police personnel nabbed Kannan and Krishnan, while Prasad managed to escape,” said the senior officer.
“When the police checked the vehicle, they found `3.42 crore in cash all in `1,000 and `500 denomination of demonetised currency wrapped in a polythene cover and hidden beneath the seat. These were seized,” added the officer.
During questioning it came to be known that a doctor in the city had approached the men to exchange the old currency for 30 per cent commission. And the man residing in JJ Lakshmi Avenue, a friend of Prasad, was to exchange the notes in a month. When they were waiting to meet the man, they were nabbed by the police.