The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, June 6, conducted raids at 15 locations across Mumbai and Kerala, including Bollywood actor Dino Morea's residence in the alleged Rs 65 crore Mithi River desilting scam case. The premises of several BMC officers, assistant engineers and contractors were searched.
Morea, who is also a close associate of Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, has been questioned twice by the Economic Offence Wing of Mumbai Police. The ED is now reviewing financial documents and other materials seized during the raids to trace the flow of illicit funds.
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The raids at residences across the city are part of an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following a case registered by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW). Earlier, the investigative agency had booked 13 individuals, including BMC officials and contractors, for their alleged involvement in payments for river cleaning work that was never carried out between 2007 and 2021.
Officials believe that contracts for hiring special machines to clean the Mithi River were rigged to favour certain companies, causing the BMC to suffer major losses.