Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel in Hyderabad conducted separate operations resulting in the seizure of hawala money worth Rs 1.22 crore and the dismantling of a Rs 41.5 lakh drug racket. In the first operation, officials from Secunderabad intercepted a man on the Devagiri Express carrying Rs 1,22,70,000 of hawala money from Mumbai to Hyderabad. The suspect, identified as Vijay Ambadas Gupta from Maharashtra, was apprehended during a joint operation by GRP and RPF under Operation Satark.
Gupta was found carrying the cash under suspicious circumstances between Bollaram and Malkajgiri railway stations. Upon interrogation, he revealed that the money was received from a person named “Santosh Seth” associated with “Kantha Jewellery” in Mumbai. The cash was intended for delivery to “Banti,” who operates a jewelry shop at Monda Market in Secunderabad. Authorities discovered that the money was linked to hawala transactions related to the jewelry business, with Gupta allegedly offered Rs 5,000 for transporting the cash.
The seized amount included 24,000 notes of Rs 500, 300 notes of Rs 200, and 2,100 notes of Rs 100. The case has been forwarded to the Income Tax Department and the Intelligence Bureau for further investigation. Additionally, the RPF’s Hyderabad Division successfully disrupted an inter-state narcotics network involving Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana. In a coordinated operation under Operation Narcos, RPF personnel seized 83 kg of marijuana valued at Rs 41.5 lakh and arrested four individuals.
During routine surveillance checks on the Nagavali Express, the CPDS team identified suspicious behavior by a passenger, leading to the discovery of 48 kg of marijuana worth Rs 24 lakh. Subsequent investigations indicated the involvement of a larger narcotics trafficking network. Through data analysis and intelligence sharing, additional suspects were apprehended in a swift multi-location operation. The RPF’s efforts, guided by data-driven policing and tech-enabled intelligence mapping, aim to combat organized crime and secure railway networks against drug trafficking, ensuring passenger safety and protecting railway infrastructure.
