Mumbai’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), probing the July 11 serial blasts, said today it had seized 37,000 Rials (about Rs 4.6 lakh) sent to Faizal Ataur Rehman Sheikh, whom it calls the chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Mumbai unit, in two installments before and after the blasts.

Joint Commissioner of Police, ATS, K P Raghuvanshi said: “One installment of 25,000 Rials was sent to Mumbai before the blasts and another 12,000 Rials to Pune on July 14 (three days after the serial blasts). This is important circumstantial evidence given that the bombers left no clues at the blast sites to provide direct links to those arrested. The money was sent through the hawala channel and we are investigating who received the money here (and passed it on to Faizal).”

ATS officers said the money was sent from Saudi Arabia via the hawala network by Faizal’s London-based brother Rahil. Crime Branch sources said it was picked up by someone in Mumbai’s Temkar Muhallah. “This person handed over the money to Faizal’s cousin Nooman Sheikh who passed it on to Faizal,” said a Crime Branch officer. Nooman, who owns a cyber cafe, has been detained for questioning. “He has told us that Faizal told him to collect the money which was being sent from Saudi Arabia,” the Crime Branch officer said.