Foreign-made weapons, Rs 5 cr cash recovered by ED during raids in Haryana mining case
Chandigarh, Jan 5: Foreign-made rifles, about 300 cartridges, Rs 5 crore in cash and more than 100 liquor bottles have been recovered during searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate against former INLD MLA Dilbag Singh and his associates, official sources said on Friday.
The central agency had launched raids against Singh and Congress MLA from Sonipat Surender Panwar on Thursday as part of a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in Haryana's Yamunanagar district and some other regions.
Singh is a former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA from Yamunanagar.
About Rs 5 crore cash, "illegal" foreign-made rifles, around 300 cartridges and bullets, more than 100 liquor bottles, 4-5 kilograms of gold biscuits and jewellery, and documents pertaining to assets in India and abroad have been recovered from the premises linked to Singh and his associates, the sources said.
The searches at some locations are continuing, they said.
Around 20 locations of the two politicians and linked entities in Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh and Karnal were covered during the raids conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The money laundering case stems from several FIRs registered by Haryana Police to probe alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel and sand that took place in the past in Yamunanagar and nearby districts even after the lease expiry period and a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The central agency is also probing alleged fraud in the 'e-Ravana' scheme, an online portal that was introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to simplify collection of royalties and taxes and to prevent tax evasion in mining areas.
The activities were being run by a syndicate allegedly linked to the two politicians, ED sources claimed.
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ED cracks down on suspected interstate liquor racket, raids 9 sites in Arunachal
Itanagar (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has carried out coordinated searches at nine locations across Arunachal Pradesh in connection with a suspected large-scale interstate liquor smuggling and money laundering network, officials said on Monday.
The action, taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), is part of an expanding probe that points to a syndicate exploiting tax differentials among states.
Officials said liquor designated for sale within Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly diverted and supplied illegally to markets in Assam and other states.
The searches, conducted earlier this week, spanned multiple towns such as Itanagar, Naharlagun, Seppa, Ziro, Daporijo, Namsai and Roing, targeting wholesale liquor businesses suspected of being linked to the network.
According to officials, the investigation stems from a series of FIRs registered by Assam Police over the illegal transportation of liquor from Arunachal Pradesh into Assam.
Inputs from the Assam Excise Department further strengthened the case. An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered on October 17, 2024, and later widened through an addendum incorporating 173 additional FIRs.
Earlier searches conducted on February 4 last year, at premises linked to three alleged key operators, believed to be major liquor manufacturers, had revealed indications of a well-coordinated operation.
Investigators suspect that the network functioned through a chain of manufacturers, bonded warehouses and wholesalers, while masking real ownership using proxy arrangements such as tribal partnerships and dummy licence holders.
During the latest ED operations, the agency found that several wholesale units were operating under proxy licences issued in the names of local individuals, while actual control remained with the suspected masterminds.
Financial scrutiny revealed that between 51 and 90 per cent of total credits in certain bank accounts comprised unexplained cash deposits.
Investigators also flagged a pattern of invoice splitting, with transactions deliberately kept below Rs 2 lakh to avoid scrutiny. In one instance, more than 200 invoices of identical value of Rs 1,99,554 were generated within a single month at one location.
On-ground staff reportedly confirmed that records, including stock registers and daily cash collections, were being routed to offices associated with the alleged controllers.
The ED said it seized approximately Rs 40 lakh in unaccounted cash during the searches.
In a significant finding, 14 seals, some purportedly belonging to the Excise Department of the Arunachal Pradesh government, were recovered from one of the premises. These are suspected to have been used to create fake transport permits to facilitate the unauthorised movement of liquor.
Further investigation is underway, officials added.
