The otherwise quiet Perumanallur-Kunnathur Bypass in Tirupur district saw some intense action at around 1.00 AM after three container vehicles were chased and stopped by the patrolling officers and paramilitary forces, and a sum of Rs.570 crores was recovered from it.

With just two days left for the polls, security and checks have been increased all over the state. The flying squad in the election department, along with paramilitary forces, was on routine vehicle check on Perumanallur-Kunnathur Bypas, when three containers vehicles, escorted by three cars, proceeded without stopping.

The officials chased the vehicles and managed to stop it near Chengapalli. On checking, they found huge amounts of money kept in many boxes. The men in the car told them that they were from the Andhra Pradesh police force, travelling in civil dress, and explained that the money in the containers was being transferred from State Bank of India, Coimbatore, to the Vishakhapatnam branches.

Since there were no proper papers, the police refused to believe them, and the vehicles were taken to the district collectorate in Tirupur. When asked why they fled without stopping, the men in the car said that they thought they were being robbed.

Officials from the Coimbatore and Vishakapatnam SBI have rushed to Tirupur with proper documents to free the vehicles.