Hawala Cartel Exposed: Raipur Moves Crores Using Torn Notes
Raipur is increasingly becoming a centre of hawala activity, and a new investigation has revealed an inter-state network spanning Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. Authorities estimate that more than Rs 60 crore passes through the city every day.
The investigation was triggered by a Rs 4 crore cash seizure by Durg police in Bhilai. The vehicle involved had left a transport company office in Raipur's Golden Market area. The company's director says the funds were for Diwali bonus distribution and that all documentation is in order. Police have handed the case to the income tax department.
The system depends on coded trust. Participants use halved Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50 notes, along with serial numbers, to authenticate payments. Once a receiver matches the code, the money is released at the other end.
Commissions vary widely. Sending Rs 1 lakh to Delhi or Mumbai can cost Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, while transfers to Jharkhand cost Rs 300 to Rs 700. Large transactions involving crores are charged at a fixed 2 to 3 percent.
Logistics are carefully planned. Luxury vehicles and trucks have hidden compartments built under the chassis or seats. Police checks are evaded by concealing cash among bags of potatoes, onions, chana, tobacco and gutka. Local transfers use scooters carrying gutka sacks, while long-distance movements use large four-wheelers.
Sources identify more than 55 major operators in Raipur. The Telighani Naka area is described as the biggest hub, with activity also reported in Phaphadih, Ganj, Bhainsthan, Samta Colony, Sadar Bazar, the Cloth Market, Transport Nagar Khamtarai and Kabir Nagar.
Beyond domestic routes, the network is said to reach Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and further to Dubai and London. It is used to clear informal trade billing and black money in gold, steel, iron, tobacco, gutka and grain businesses, along with some political dealings.
Raipur has witnessed several such seizures. A Rs 16 lakh recovery was made from a travel agency office in New Rajendra Nagar in May 2026. A Rs 6.60 crore haul in Rs 500 notes was taken from two cars in Kumhari, Durg, in September. Earlier, in March 2025, Rs 2.80 crore was seized from a secret chamber in a car in Amanaka.