Kochi: The cops on Thursday seized old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes worth Rs 2.71 crore after intercepting a van at Aluva following a tip-off and arrested six persons, including a woman. The arrested were identified as Laila Pareeth (44), a Malappuram native running a tailor shop at Aluva Thottumukham, Nithin Nanda Kumar (29), a Kurrupumpaddy native who is manager of SBI Life Perumbavur branch, Anoop Sasidharan (27) hailing from Kadamattom, Jiju Jose (38) of Chunangamveli, Ali Asignar (27) and Amir Kunjumuhammed (36), both residents of Randathani, Malappuram. According to cops, the six were travelling in an SUV from Kozhikode to Ernakulam. A special shadow team formed by Ernakulam Rural Superintendent A.V. George and Aluva CI Vishal Johnson intercepted the vehicles and arrested them near Aluva Palace at 5 am.
“We’ve got a tip-off about the gang coming in the vehicle. Though a police team asked them to stop at Paravur Junction, the vehicle sped off. A police team chased the SUV and intercepted it near Aluva Palace. We suspect them to be part of the racket which converts old currencies for fresh Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes for commission,” A.V. George said. A case under various sections of the Specified Bank Notes Act, 2017, was lodged against them. While Laila is suspected to be acting as an agent, the cops are probing the role of others. “Initial probe revealed that the currencies were being brought from Malappuram. However, it’s still to be ascertained where they were taking the old notes for converting them. We’ve informed the Enforcement and Income Tax officials about the note seizure,” the officer said.
The seizure comes four days after the Kochi Shadow Police seized old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes worth Rs 2.30 crore and arrested five when they approached a currency exchange agency in Netoor. The probe in that case revealed that the gang would trade Rs 1 crore worth old notes for Rs 20 lakh (new currencies) from persons connected with money exchange. The six were produced before a court which remanded them in judicial custody.
