High drama ensued on the streets of Mumbai Central late on Monday night, when sleuths of the elite National Investigative Agency (NIA) and the Income Tax (IT) department had a showdown with the Mumbai police officials.
During a major raid on angadias who were transporting cash and valuables worth crores of rupees, the sleuths were shocked to see Mumbai police officials escorting them.
Acting on a tip-off, when sleuths of the elite NIA and IT planned to conduct a raid, little did they realise that they were in for a shock. Their information was that a group of angadias were transporting huge amounts of cash and valuables, which could also include terror funds.
Armed with this information, the sleuths raided an entourage of four trucks which was on its way from South Mumbai to the Mumbai Central station. When the sleuths stopped the trucks and started questioning the angadias, they found that a team of Mumbai police officials from the VP Road police station were part of the entourage.
The NIA–IT team rounded up the Mumbai police personnel and started questioning them. This resulted in high tension between the two sides. The Mumbai police officials tried to explain to the sleuths that it was a regular practice and there was nothing untoward that they were doing.
However, the sleuths refused to relent and insisted on recording statements of the police officials. The drama ended only after senior police officials of Mumbai police intervened.
Deputy commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli explained the presence of police officials in the entourage.
“Post the Income tax raid on angadias, a lot of queries were put regarding VP Road police giving escort to hawala (operators). To clarify this I wish to clear a few facts,” Tamboli said in a text message.
“Since (for) the last 15 years or so an escort of local police station is provided to such couriers carrying high cash and valuables. This is done to prevent violent robberies and dacoities on angadias. Murders have also been committed during such violent robberies. That is the reason escorts are given to prevent such crimes.”
Another senior police official said that it was not the police’s responsibility to verify whether the cash and jewellery were accounted for or not.
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