KATHUA, Feb 18: Two Kashmiri youth were arrested with a massive haul of Rs 3.36 crores in the Lakhanpur area here today.
A police official said that acting on a specific tip-off, a Kashmir-bound vehicle (HR98J-9889) coming from Punjab side was intercepted at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, around 9:30 AM for routine checking.
Upon searching the vehicle, he said, police discovered the cash concealed in a specially created cavity.
Accordingly, two individuals identified as Fahad Khursheed Wani, a resident of Haka Bazar Nowhatta, Srinagar, and Fahad Yousuf from Umer Colony, Lal Bazar, Srinagar, were arrested, he said.The police official said that further investigation into the case is underway after registration of an FIR under the relevant sections of the law.
Earlier, SSP Kathua, Shobhit Saxena, informed the media that the recovery was based on a tip-off received early in the morning by the Lakhanpur Police Station team.
Quoting preliminary investigations, the police officer revealed that the vehicle had come from Delhi and was en-route to Kashmir.
Following the recovery, he said, the cash was handed over to Income Tax officials for counting and further investigation.
When asked about the potential link to terror funding, the police officer clarified that, as of now, no such angle had emerged, though the matter remains under-investigation.
Regarding the authenticity of the currency, the officer stated, “It is premature to comment on this as the investigation is still ongoing.”
Details regarding the intended use of the money were also not disclosed by the police officer.
Meanwhile, the SSP Kathua said that the recovery was made possible only due to the cooperation of the central agencies and local residents of the area.
