Dubai-linked hawala racket busted in Bareilly; Rs 35 lakh, fake aadhaar cards seized

Meerut: Two men have been arrested in Bareilly in connection with an alleged hawala network with suspected links to Dubai, police said on Sunday. A crackdown on illegal financial transactions led to the recovery of ₹35 lakh in cash, four mobile phones, and two forged Aadhaar cards from their possession.SSP Anurag Arya said the racket was allegedly operating through a shell firm named KGN Company and was being used to route unaccounted money through hawala channels. The source of funds and the suspected Dubai connection is being investigated.“Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided an area in Madhobari and arrested Jameer Ahmad, a resident of Hajiyapur Chungi, and Jagdish Chotiya of Bikaner in Rajasthan. During the search, officers seized Rs 35 lakh in cash along with forged identity documents and mobile phones,” the SSP said.During interrogation, Jameer allegedly told police that he was in contact with Dubai-based Ali Zeeshan, who directed the creation of the fictitious company in the name of Moin Ali. The firm operated from an office on Pilibhit Bypass Road in Ashutosh City but allegedly had no legitimate business activity.Police said Zeeshan would send token numbers through WhatsApp and arrange for large sums of money to be deposited into designated accounts. The funds were then allegedly transferred through hawala channels to contacts identified as Lalchand and Dhammaram in Chandni Chowk area of Delhi.Jagdish allegedly told investigators that he had been involved in hawala operations in Bareilly for the past four years, facilitating the movement of benami funds and helping clients evade taxes in exchange for commissions. The identities of senders and recipients were allegedly kept secret.Police have named Moin Ali, Lalchand and Dhammaram as wanted accused in the case. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of BNS and efforts are underway to trace the absconding suspects.SSP Arya said an investigation is underway to determine whether the racket carries broader financial or security implications. He added that special teams have been formed to probe the Dubai connection and trace the full network behind the operation.