In plain sight: Airport passengers turn unwitting cash mules

Mangaluru: There's little doubt that huge amounts of money change hands in the run up to an election, and more so, when it's a hard fought poll like the battle for Karnataka. But how many know that much of the illegal transactions that take place are at crowded airports and during small private functions when bags loaded with cash appear... and as mysteriously, disappear. In plain sight.

With the Election Commission stepping up its vigil, political parties are finding newer ways to transfer money. Authorities believe they are one step ahead of the clever moneymen. Are they?

"One of the places where money transfer happens is at the airport. Those who want to send money to a particular destination approach cab drivers to become carriers. When a passenger walks out of the airport and catches his cab, that cabbie will place the bag with the cash alongside the luggage of the passenger and after dropping the passenger off, will continue his journey and deliver the bag at the intended destination," an officer said.

And no-one will be the wiser!

 The passenger won't know anything about the bag or what's in it. Even if he sees the bag, he will assume it is the driver's personal bag. Squads checking airport cabs on the road wont check the baggage as the passenger's in the clear as he would have already cleared security checks at the airport and all the bags would have a tag. The cab driver's bag would therefore escape scrutiny. Its only now that officials have begun to focus on cabs,” the officer said.

The other route that didn't show up on the EC radar are small private functions. 

“Much of the focus of officials is on big programmes. But parties are now organising small private functions where money is distributed to party workers,” an election official said.