A courier consignment of cash, gold and diamond jewellery, worth an estimated Rs.200 crore (about $33 million) was seized in Mumbai by the National Investigation Agency and Income Tax Department, an official said. It is being billed as the biggest operation of its kind. It was brought in four big tempos carrying around 150 bags full of cash and jewellery, stumping the investigators who suspect a terror angle, a top IT official, requesting anonymity said here Tuesday. At least 47 people, including personal couriers, locally known as ‘angadiyas’, were detained and 20 were let off after initial questioning by the two agencies early Tuesday morning.
The operation was carried out following a tip-off received by the NIA at least a week ago. It roped in the IT Department for help as a huge amount of cash was involved. Not ruling out a terror funding angle, at least a dozen of those detained are being questioned separately by the NIA. Counting of the cash and valuation of the jewellery is currently on at the IT headquarters in Mumbai and the true value of the consignment is expected to be known only within another day or so, the official said.
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