Busted Rs 200 cr hawala plans for TN polls: I-T

Cash was to be brought for a candidate, say officials

CHENNAI: The Income Tax Department has claimed to have stumbled upon a major hawala network allegedly operating for a political party in the Tamil Nadu when they questioned a man who was deported from Malaysia two days ago.

When examined by officials from the central agency, the man, identified as Vinoth Kumar Joseph, was found to be involved in a widespread hawala network that is operating from Dubai and Malaysia for transfer of illegal money from Dubai to India, claimed officials.

After intercepting Joseph, an Indian national, at the Chennai International Airport on April 7, the tax sleuths seized his mobile phone, iPad, laptop, and other materials, and recorded his statement.

“It has been found from the WhatsApp chat on his mobile phone that he was planning to bring money from Dubai to Chennai through the hawala route for a prominent political party based in Tami Nadu. His conversation in the last few days with one Selvam, a man based in Dubai, indicates that a sum of Rs 200 crore was intended to be transferred from Dubai in connection with the upcoming parliamentary election,” sources in the Income Tax Department told DT Next.

The I-T Department has also come up with the name of Appu alias Vinayagavelan, who is said to be involved in the election campaign for a prominent politician who is contesting the Lok Sabha election. Appu is closely connected with Joseph, claimed sources.

The other persons allegedly involved in facilitating the

It has been found from the WhatsApp chat that he was planning to bring money from Dubai to Chennai through the hawala route for a political party —Income Tax Department sources

hawala transactions have been identified as Monika Virola based in Dubai; a firm named Al Manar Diamonds, also based at Dubai; and a Malaysia-based person named Suresh.

I-T officials did not rule out the possibility of the Enforcement Directorate joining the investigation.