Nagpur: The Enforcement Directorate has seized unaccounted betel nuts of 289.57 MTs valued at roughly Rs 11.5 Crore under PMLA at Nagpur. While searching 17 premises of various persons involved in the smuggling of Betel nuts of Indonesian origin across Nagpur and Mumbai, ED reportedly confiscated Rs 16.5 lakh cash and Betel nuts worth Rs 11.5 crore, sources informed.
The agency informed on Twitter, “ED has searched 17 premises across Mumbai and Nagpur under PMLA, 2002, covering office and residential premises of various persons involved in smuggling of Betel nuts of Indonesian origin, smuggled mostly via Indo-Myanmar Border.”
According to the news agency ANI, an ED investigation has revealed that there was a well-organized syndicate of suppliers of Indonesian betel nut, commission agents, logistic providers, transporters, hawala operators, and buyers who were smuggling Indonesian betel nut into India via India-Myanmar Border.
Earlier, in a press release on December 1, the ED said that it provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs. 82.77 Crore belonging to Pooja Singhal, IAS in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The properties include one Super Speciality Hospital namely ‘Pulse Super Speciality Hospital’, one diagnostics centre namely ‘Pulse Diagnostic and Imagining Centre’ and two land parcels situated in Ranchi, the statement further read.
