In a major development in the Mumbai police’s crackdown on the betting syndicate, the police on Monday night arrested a big hawala operator and seized `1.28 crore cash from his office premises. The name of this hawala operator cropped up in the interrogation of bookies who were arrested earlier. The police also arrested a Delhi-based punter in the case who was trying to flee to Dubai, but was caught at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. The punter is said to have been in contact with actor Vindoo Dara Singh.
While interrogating arrested bookies Ramesh Vyas and Pravin Behra, the police learnt that they and wanted accused bookies Devendra Kothari and Jupiter assigned the money transaction job to a common hawala operator. He was later identified as Alpeshkumar Bhagwandas Patel alias P. Alpesh (39), a resident of Pofalwadi, Bhuleshwar.
A team of officers from the Property Cell and Crime Intelligence Unit comprising SPI S. Sandbhor, PI Ajay Sawant, Nandkumar Gopale, API Nitin Patil and PSI Laxmikant Salunkhe on Tuesday arrested Patel and raided his two offices located at Opera House and seized `1,28,74,500 cash. The police also seized his account diaries and cellphones.
Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said, “Patel was arranging hawala transactions for the entire bookies’ module we busted. He was in contact with many bookies and used to manage hawala transactions for Indian bookies, as well as bookies operating from abroad.”
Sources said Patel was operating a hawala business of hundreds of crores of rupees and was charging a commission of 0.25 to 0.5 per cent from every bookie. He was earning around `4-5 crore per day from his hawala business and the money seized from his office was a collection of the previous day’s business. “Patel’s arrest is important for us as he can provide us details of the entire money trail of the betting syndicate,” Mr Roy said, adding, “We will also invoke the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the case and will inform Enforcement Directorate to also initiate an investigation in the matter.”
The other arrested accused has been identified as Prem Ramchandra Taneja, a resident of Karol Baugh, New Delhi. He was about to flee to Dubai when he was caught at the CSIA by the immigration officials on the instruction of the Mumbai police. Taneja operates from Delhi and is a known face in the betting circle.He allegedly also arranges accommodation and women for bookies.