Terror funds came from Gulf, routed through banks, hawala and money transfer channels
Express News Service Posted: Oct 09, 2008 at 0220 hrs IST
Mumbai, October 8 Cops freeze bank accounts from which IM members withdrew money
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Wednesday revealed that it has frozen a certain number of bank accounts in the city from which money was withdrawn by some of the alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) members. According to the police, the IM operatives had been receiving money from Gulf countries through these accounts for the past two years. This is apart from what they had been receiving through the hawala network and the Western Union Money Transfer.
“During interrogations, some of the arrested accused told us that they used to withdraw money from some bank accounts in the city, following which we have frozen the accounts. They are savings accounts in nationalised banks and are in the names of some individuals. Since 2006, money was being deposited by people in Gulf countries and was being withdrawn in small amounts by the IM members. A total of Rs 26 lakh was sent from Gulf countries through proper banking channels to these accounts,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, refusing to divulge further details or the number of accounts frozen.
The Crime Branch has already seized Rs 11.36 lakh in cash from the IM members arrested from Mangalore.
A dedicated team of Crime Branch officers is focussing on the funding received by the IM members, and are investigating the manner in which money was sent to them via hawala and money transfer channels. “If it is found that the people who are holding these accounts were actively helping the IM operatives in receiving funds from outside the country, they will also be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for aiding and abbetting,” said Maria.
Mumbai, October 8 Cops freeze bank accounts from which IM members withdrew money
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch on Wednesday revealed that it has frozen a certain number of bank accounts in the city from which money was withdrawn by some of the alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) members. According to the police, the IM operatives had been receiving money from Gulf countries through these accounts for the past two years. This is apart from what they had been receiving through the hawala network and the Western Union Money Transfer.
“During interrogations, some of the arrested accused told us that they used to withdraw money from some bank accounts in the city, following which we have frozen the accounts. They are savings accounts in nationalised banks and are in the names of some individuals. Since 2006, money was being deposited by people in Gulf countries and was being withdrawn in small amounts by the IM members. A total of Rs 26 lakh was sent from Gulf countries through proper banking channels to these accounts,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria, refusing to divulge further details or the number of accounts frozen.
The Crime Branch has already seized Rs 11.36 lakh in cash from the IM members arrested from Mangalore.
A dedicated team of Crime Branch officers is focussing on the funding received by the IM members, and are investigating the manner in which money was sent to them via hawala and money transfer channels. “If it is found that the people who are holding these accounts were actively helping the IM operatives in receiving funds from outside the country, they will also be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for aiding and abbetting,” said Maria.
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