The Uttar Pradesh STF arrested a Chinese national and two associates in Noida over an alleged hawala and money laundering network. Investigators say shell companies, forged documents and a fake Aadhaar point to a wider financial racket.

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a Chinese national and two Indian associates in Noida for allegedly operating a hawala and money laundering network through multiple shell companies. Officials said the Chinese national had been living in India illegally using a fake Aadhaar card after his visa expired in 2020.

The accused have been identified as Liao Longhui, a Chinese citizen, Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Ghaziabad, and Kaushalendra from Auraiya. They were arrested on the night of July 22 from Purvanchal Silver City in Noida’s Sector 93.

According to the STF, it had received intelligence that foreign nationals were using shell companies to facilitate illegal financial transactions worth crores of rupees through hawala channels. During the investigation, YTL Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., based in Noida’s Sector 83, came under scrutiny. The company was allegedly being operated by Liao Longhui.

The STF said searches at the accused’s residence led to the recovery of bank documents of several companies, cheque books, forged identity documents and other financial records, following which all three were arrested.

Officials seized five laptops, nine mobile phones, one tablet, two Chinese passports, one Chinese identity card, seals of 10 companies, 11 bank cheque books, documents related to multiple firms, bank cheques worth approximately Rs 4.72 crore and Rs 15,400 in cash.

During the search, investigators also recovered an alleged fake Aadhaar card bearing Liao Longhui’s photograph but issued in the name of “Samuel Lotha” with an address in Kohima, Nagaland. Police suspect the document was used to facilitate his stay and business operations in India after his visa expired.