New Delhi, December 13 (IANS). The Mumbai regional office of the ED on December 11 conducted search operations at 40 locations in various districts and states, including the Padgha-Borivali area near Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hazaribagh, Prayagraj, Daman and Ratnagiri under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The operation was part of the ongoing investigation against individuals belonging to a radical module linked to ISIS in the case of Saqib Nachan and others. Movable assets worth approximately Rs 9.70 crore were recovered during the search operation, which included cash (approximately Rs 3.70 crore) and gold jewelery (approximately Rs 6 crore).
Additionally, 25 bank accounts belonging to the accused and suspects were frozen. Various other objectionable documents, literature promoting fundamentalism, digital devices etc. were also seized. During the search, details and documents related to various immovable properties of the accused and other suspicious persons were also recovered and seized.
The ED initiated a money laundering investigation based on the FIR registered by the NIA under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosive Substances Act and chargesheet filed in RC-29/2023/NIA/DLI. Investigation revealed that the said individuals were part of a highly radicalized ISIS linked module and were engaged in recruitment, training, procurement of arms and explosives and raising funds to maintain the operations of the terrorist module.
Additionally, intelligence received from the Mumbai-based ATS revealed that individuals associated with this ISIS module were also involved in illegal revenue-generating activities, particularly clandestine felling, smuggling and sale of Khair (Cath) wood, the proceeds of which were suspected to be used to support extremist activities.
The ED investigation revealed that various suspects had financial links with the accused in the case, who were identified based on the analysis of their bank accounts. Considering the gravity of the crime and the threat it poses to national security, searches were conducted under PMLA at the premises belonging to the accused, their close associates and family members and entities indicating financial links or suspicious monetary transactions with the accused.
During the investigation, information related to hawala activities was also found. Further, the financial analysis conducted by the ED revealed that various individuals linked to the Borivali–Padgha ISIS module were involved in illegal felling and smuggling of cath trees from the reserved forest areas of the Padgha–Borivali region. To further expose the entire nexus, search operations were also conducted on various companies/institutions involved in cath tree production, which were procuring cath wood from the suspects/accused.
–IANS
AMT/DKP
