KOCHI: Similar to heists of money and gold by organised gangs from vehicles on national highways, Rs 80 lakh was stolen from a car parked at Manappattiparambu, Kaloor, in Kochi on September 25. The police suspect the stolen money arrived through the hawala channel from abroad.
The incident related to the case took place at 10.45pm when an Edappally resident, who works as the driver of a businessman, parked the car containing cash near the LIC office at Manappattiparambu. He was waiting for a Marottichuvadu native, who runs a mobile phone business in the UAE, to hand over the money.
According to police sources, the money was sent by a businessman in the UAE to the Marottichuvadu native.
“He and his friend reached Manapattiparambu on a motorcycle to receive the money from the Edappally native. The cash was kept in a bag placed inside a plastic cover on the rear passenger seat. Before the money could be handed over, four unidentified persons wearing helmets and masks arrived on two motorcycles. They opened the rear door of the car and stole the money after threatening the driver,” said a source.
Though the Marottichuvadu man and his friend attempted to stop the theft, the robbers managed to evade them. But the late reporting of the incident raised suspicions of the involvement of hawala money. The Ernakulam North Police registered a case for theft under BNS section 305(b).
“Though the incident happened on the night of September 25, the Edappally native approached the police only on the night of September 27. The genuineness of the complaint is being checked,” the source said.
The police questioned the Marottichuvadu native, his friend, and the driver. “They haven’t given a clear answer regarding how the money was transferred from abroad. They are saying that the money was sent through a business person in Kochi. But that has to be verified,” the source said.
The locality near the LIC office in Manappattiparambu is usually a preferred parking space for trucks and buses at night. While the area, in the absence of street lights, is infested with anti-social elements, especially those abusing narcotic substances, the police say such a case has not been reported before within the city.