The police on Thursday arrested two persons and seized more than Rs.56 lakh in cash from a house in a suspected hawala case. A team of the Koduvally police arrested Abdul Sathar, 44, Palakkamannil House, Avilora; and Mohammad Ashraf, 33, Thaddayil House, Avilora. Acting on a tip-off, the police seized Rs.56,94,350 from the house owned by Thaddayil Gafoor, at Avilora, near Koduvally, 20 km from here. Gafoor had rented out the house to a woman, the police said.
The police had been receiving complaints from local people that many people, strangers to the area, were frequenting the uninhabited house at odd hours. The woman who had rented the house had allegedly given the keys to the duo for carrying out hawala transactions. The currency notes had been stacked in bundles for distribution in Kannur, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts. At least five more persons were involved in the case, and they are still at large, the police said. The accused would be handed over to the Enforcement Directorate officials.