Seven arrested for stealing national party's fund of Rs 3.5 crore, police say they belong to hawala gang

THRISSUR: Nine persons have been arrested in a case of stealing Rs 3.5 crore that was taken to Ernakulam as election fund for a national party. Three people are yet to be arrested. The police said that they were part of a gang that regularly steals hawala money and that political connection would become clear only by questioning. The police collected evidence in the presence of the accused.

A team led by Chalakudy DySP nabbed five persons, who were in hiding, from Ernakulam's Kakkanad yesterday morning. Four persons were arrested from Thrissur and Kozhikode on Sunday. Seven were direct participants and two were assistants. The accident and robbery were planned by three people that are yet to be arrested.

Two are from Thalassery and Kannur. Thalassery native lives in a rented house in Iringalakuda. The gang had picked up a person hailing from Kodali in Thrissur. Police said he was paid Rs 10 lakh after the plan's success. The remaining amount was split in Kozhikode. The initial police report did not specify the political party involved.

When the car with the money reached Paliyekkara toll plaza on the Thrissur-Ernakulam National Highway, it stopped but the car carrying the goons behind it rammed the barrier at the toll plaza and sped away. After receiving the CCTV footage, the police confirmed that the goons were following the vehicle. The kidnapped car and one of the three cars that the goons came in were found.

The incident took place on the Kodakara National Highway on April 3 at 4.30 am. It is learned that Rs 3.5 crore was lost from the car. But the Kozhikode resident complained that Rs 25 lakh was stolen. The complaint alleges that it was brought in for a land deal. A detailed investigation revealed that the unaccounted money was brought in by national party for the elections and the amount was Rs 3.5 crore. In Palakkad too, there were plans to extort unaccounted money from the party. The police got the information after another person received a mobile message sent by the driver of the car asking where the accident should be carried out.