Two Kerala men roaming suspiciously on Taverekere Main Road on Friday midnight were caught by the Suddaguntepalya police, who seized Rs 27.17 lakh unaccounted-for money from them.
Police, who are investigating the source of the money found with Mohammed Nihal P P (21) and Anwar KK (25) — both of whom hail from Kozhikode, suspect that the money is either hawala or stolen.
Police said the duo were caught near the State Bank of India ATM kiosk around 11.30 pm. As the beat police spotted their suspicious movement, the duo tried to escape. Police caught them after a short chase. On checking the men, police found a bag with a large amount of cash. They were taken to the police station for further inquiry.
The two did not reveal where they got the money from or who it belonged to. Except their names, they did not say anything about their background or the purpose of their visit to Bengaluru.
“We suspect the money is brought to the city for hawala transaction or they stole it from somewhere. We have taken them into custody for further probe,” an investigating officer said, adding that police can find out about the source of the cash only after a few days.