The Enforcement Directorate has seized foreign currency worth over $1.97 lakh (about Rs 1 crore), being shipped out of India through international money orders by African nationals.
Currency worth $197,925 was seized on August 26. It was being sent out through international money order, MoneyGram, using DTDC Courier and Cargo, booked by African nationals, an ED official said.
The incident came to light after ED officials, acting on a tip-off, searched the regional office of the courier service in Naraina in Delhi.
The directorate said money was hidden inside books and greeting cards and could not have been easily detected by X-ray machines.
"A search operation was carried out at the DTDC Courier and Cargo Ltd . . .This search has resulted into seizure of 203 pieces of Walmart, MoneyGram money orders (international money orders) issued by MoneyGram payment systems Inc (USA)," the ED official said.
The ED alleged that illegal trafficking of foreign currency is reportedly a part of a bigger drug racket and they will be writing to courier service providers to be careful and get in touch with them as soon as they suspect anything wrong with the couriers, an ED official said.
The Enforcement Directorate, arm of the revenue department of finance ministry looks into cases involving breach of Foreign Exchange Management Act and money laundering.
