ED conducts raids on DHFL premises in Iqbal Mirchi PMLA case

Mumbai, October 19

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday conducted searches at about a dozen premises of DHFL and other linked firms in its money laundering probe against Iqbal Mirchi, the aide of Dawood Ibrahim, officials said.

They said the raids were being conducted in and around Mumbai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). About a dozen premises were being searched, they added.

The Dewan Housing Finance Corp Ltd (DHFL) allegedly had business links with Sunblink Real Estate, the firm at the heart of investigations into the financial dealings of Mirchi. The DHFL had given loans of Rs 2,186 crore to the real estate firm.        

The ED suspects these monies were allegedly routed by Sunblink into accounts linked to Mirchi and his associates.

The agency is looking for evidence in the form of documents and other paraphernalia as part of the latest operation, they said. The DHFL earlier said it had no links to the alleged dubious transactions.

The ED turned up the heat in the money laundering case linked to the multi-crore real estate deals of Mirchi and others after recently arresting two of his alleged aides.

Mirchi had died in London in 2013. He was alleged to be the right hand man of Dawood in drug trafficking and extortion crimes. PTI