ED raids 18 premises of 20 officials across 9 states in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided at least 20 premises of 18 senior bureaucrats involved in various scams across in nine states, including Delhi, Bihar and Karnataka, as part of a nation-wide crackdown on shell companies.

A total of 20 officials, including IAS officials, and their 18 premises in ten states were raided under the action that began early in the morning.

In Kolkata, the agency searched the premises of an IAS officer, whom it had booked under PMLA on the basis of a case registered against him under anti-corruption laws by the state government.

"It is alleged that the officer, in connivance with some engineers, had released Rs60 crore by falsification and manipulation of tender documents," the agency said in a statement.

Similarly, it searched the premises of a project engineer in Noida in connection with the money laundering case it is probing against former Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh.

The raids, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, involved high-level bureaucrats accused of being part of high-level cases like the State Trading Corporation scam and Louis Berger bribery case, CNN-News18 reported.

In the Louis Berger bribery case in Goa, the principal chief engineer of the state has been accused of making inappropriate payments to former chief minister and former MP Churchill Alemao.

Similarly, the ED searched the premises of a project engineer in Noida in connection with the money laundering case it is probing against former Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh.

In Delhi, three retired officers of the State Trading Corporation (STC), including an ex-CMD were raided. The STC officials were involved in large irregularities in exports under a scheme by the STC, Mumbai that had caused financial losses of hundred crores of rupees to the exchequer.

Also raided were SBI officials involved in converting black money into white post demonetisation, helping customers to launder money.

This is the first round of a crackdown on money laundering and many more such raids are expected in the future, ED sources said.