Police said on Tuesday that four people, including three hawala operators, were arrested in connection with an extortion case in which a betel nut trader from Nagpur, Maharashtra, was tricked of Rs 30 lakh under the guise of securing bail for his undertrial brother.
According to an officer, the accused routed Rs 25 lakh of Rs 30 lakh through the hawala network to Surat, Chalisgaon, and Nagpur.
Ashok Vanjani and three hawala traders, Naresh Parmar, Ratan Nana, and Santosh, were arrested, police claimed, adding that two other suspects are on the run.
Last month, the accused approached the trader, promising to secure bail for his younger brother, who had been arrested by the Nagpur Police in a criminal case.
According to the official, who cited the FIR, they promised the trader that they had “excellent ties” with police and judiciary officers.
However, once the complainant paid them the money, they began to ignore him, prompting him to contact the police, according to him.
Extortion has been charged in this case, and more investigation is proceeding.
