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ED probing 25 cases in North East

By R Dutta Choudhury - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

GUWAHATI, Aug 26 � With money laundering a major cause of concern, the role of the Enforcement Directorate has become vital in recent times and the regional office of the Directorate has already registered more than 25 cases under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and investigations into the cases are now on.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that in addition to the high profile case of money laundering in North Cachar Hills, the Enforcement Directorate is investigating into several other major cases in the region including bank frauds.

The Directorate registered a case of money laundering in NC Hills on the basis of the First Information Report and chargesheet of the National investigation Agency (NIA) and the process of questioning of the accused in the jail is now on. Those named in the case include Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai, the chairman and commander-in-chief respectively of militant group DHD (J), commonly known as the Black Widow group.

Sources revealed that other cases under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate include two major bank frauds involving United Commercial Bank and the Allahabad Bank and as per the FIRs, the total involvements in the cases were Rs 15 crore and Rs nine crore respectively. The possibility of involvement of bank officials in the cases cannot be ruled out and if found guilty, they would face confiscation of properties gained from the fruits of the crime in addition to other punishment.

Sources said that the Assam Police recently busted a hawala racket in the Fancybazar area of Guwahati and recovered an amount of Rs 24 lakh. But the case was later handed over to the Enforcement Directorate for a thorough probe. Sources said that the persons suspected to be involved in the racket are now being questioned and it is found that there were at least eight branches of the same racket operating all over the country for hawala transfer of funds.

Sources said that one case of arrest of eight United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants arrested by Nagaland police while they were on their way from Assam from their bases in Myanmar was also handed over to the Enforcement Directorate as illegal transfer of money was involved in the case.

Official sources said that The Prevention of Money Laundering Act came into effect on June 1, 2005 and the punishment under the Act is two fold. In addition to punishment for the crime, the Act also provides for confiscation of the properties acquired with the proceeds of the crime. India was the 34th country to enact such an Act and even if any person acquires properties in foreign countries with proceeds of the crime, the Government can write to the concerned country to attach the properties. If the allegation of the DHD(J) leaders acquiring properties in Nepal is found to be true, the Government of India can write to the Nepal Government for the confiscation of such properties, sources added.

Sources further revealed that all the police forces of the State are in constant touch with the Directorate of Enforcement so that any case relating to money laundering can be dealt with without any delay and almost all the police forces of the NE region has appointed one officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police to maintain liaison with the Directorate, which is the sole authority to deal with money laundering cases.