COIMBATORE: A 38-year-old man from Kerala was detained by Coimbatore rural police on Tuesday with suspected hawala money of Rs 56.50 lakh at Velanthavalam on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border on Tuesday.

Police said Shabeeq (38), a native of Malappuram in Kerala, was taking the cash, concealed beneath the seat, without proper documentation. During a routine vehicle check, police noticed a two-wheeler rider bound for Kerala suddenly turning his bike and attempting to flee in the opposite direction.

On suspicion, police chased and intercepted Shabeeq, a jewel trader from Kerala. As he failed to give a proper explanation for attempting to flee, the police conducted a thorough check of his vehicle.

Though police couldn’t find anything suspicious initially, they noticed an unusual sound while tapping the seat. They then discovered cash bundles concealed in the seat.

He told police that the money was obtained from the proceeds of jewel sales in Coimbatore. However, as he could not furnish any documents, the police handed over the cash to the income tax department, and further inquiry is under way.