Hawala-linked land deal worth Rs 400 cr busted in Malappuram

The documents were unearthed by the police included one pertaining to a single land deal worth Rs 400 crore from a house.

A pistol was also seized from a house in the raids that began at 6.00 am on Thursday at 14 houses simultaneously under the leadership of Inspector General Vincent Paul, head of the special team constituted to probe into the allegations of relations between Hawala and the mafia in the State. Police officers informed that the pistol would be sent for forensic examination.

Superintendent of Police, Malappuram, P Vijayan said that the police had unearthed specific proof of the fact that Hawala money was being invested in land deals.

Vijayan said that the seized document that proved the Hawala deal of Rs 400 crore was for purchase of a 200 acre land in another place at Rs 200,000 an acre. He said that a memorandum of understanding had been made for the deal, but the actual deal was to take place later. He also said that the raids had unearthed several documents to prove the relation between Hawala rackets and land deals.

The document was unearthed from the house of a person with connections with the ruling LDF. Police said that the deal was for a land outside Malappuram district. The police team was assisted by Revenue officials in the raids. Police sources informed that several other documents about Hawala deals had also been recovered apart from the one for the Rs 400 core deal.

Police officials said that they had not confiscated any money as there had been strict instructions that small amounts of money need not be seized.

The raids were conducted in the houses of people whom the police had been suspecting of having relations with Hawala rackets.

Malappuram district, which has a large number of people working and doing business in the Gulf region, is seen as a den of Hawala activities. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had stated in the State Assembly that action against Hawala rackets would be intensified.