Fund transfer through ATMs along Indo-Nepal border under scanner

Indian Income Tax department is probing a 'treacherous' and secretive channel of money transfer through ATMs along the 'open' Indo-Nepal border which is suspected to have 'national security' implications, according to Indian media reports.
The department, which stumbled across the stealth money transfers during the recently conducted Assembly polls in five states, has sent a classified report to central security agencies for a detailed probe.
"The Income Tax department's investigation unit stumbled at this covert method of transferring of funds along the sensitive Nepal border recently. The transfer of funds could also involve cross-border transfer of cash," the report quoted a senior officer involved in the investigation.
A detailed report has been sent to the Intelligence Bureau and other law enforcement agencies to check instances of terror funding and supply of money for illegal arms trade along the border, the officer said.
The Income Tax report, prepared after collating data from across various locations along the 1,751 km-long Indo-Nepal border, has said the transfer of funds through ATMs of various banks is a subtle and cunning way of transferring funds, aimed at escaping the radar of investigating agencies or police.
"Issues related to national security need to be verified by various agencies," the officer, was being quoted in the media. -- Agencies