An IT professional was among three men arrested by the Bharuch Special Operation Group (SOG) for alleged involvement in a hawala money racket. Police recovered Rs40.35 lakh in suspected hawala funds from the trio during a late-night operation on Thursday.
The accused were identified as:
Mohammed Javid Patel (24) – IT professional at a private firm
Huzaifa Patel (22) – Assistant engineer in a factory
Zakariya Bariwala alias Patel (23) – Employed at another private firm
All three are residents of Bharuch, Gujarat, and have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS).
According to police, during primary interrogation, the trio confessed to involvement in a theft that took place in Ankleshwar. Officials are probing the connection between the theft and the seized hawala cash.
The Rs40.35 lakh was recovered during a targeted raid by SOG personnel acting on specific intelligence. Police suspect the cash was being circulated through illegal hawala channels.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine the source and intended destination of the seized funds.
