The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 78.15 lakh during raids conducted at seven locations in Punjab, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh related to liquor company Malbros International Pvt Ltd and premises linked to its erstwhile Director Gautam Malhotra in a money laundering investigation related to environmental crime, the agency said on Friday.
The raids, carried out on July 16, also led to the seizure of digital devices and incriminating documents. These seizures were part of the raids conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED initiated an investigation on the basis of a criminal complaint filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ferozepur, against Malbros International Pvt Ltd for violation of various sections of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 by contaminating soil and groundwater in and around its factory premises. The ED investigation revealed that the accused entity discharged industrial effluents in the bore-wells illicitly installed in the premise of its industrial unit, leading to soil and water contamination, which resulted in public health risk and cattle deaths in and around adjacent areas.
The ED investigation revealed that money generated through environmental crime has been further used for the business activities of the company. The money trail thereof would be investigated during further investigation.