ED attaches assets worth Rs 1.44 crore in red sanders smuggling case
Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, Jan 18
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it had issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to seize immovable properties worth Rs 1.44 crore belonging to Anil Gadodia, Rameshwar Sharma, proprietor of M/s Eurro Export, Jaipur, and other accused in the red sanders smuggling case.
Officials in the agency said, the attached assets consist of three immovable properties in the form of office premises situated in Jaipur and Delhi and a flat in Mohali.
“Further, cash amounting to Rs 4.2 lakh recovered and seized by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from other co-accused Yodying, a permanent resident of Thailand, has also been attached,” said a senior ED official.
The ED took up the case to investigate under the PMLA on the basis of “Prosecution Complaint (equivalent to a police chargesheet)” filed by the DRI against Gadodia, Sharma, Proprietor of M/s Eurro Export, Jaipur, and others before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic Offences), Jaipur, under various sections of the Customs Act, 1962.
The DRI had recovered and seized four of such containers from the Mundra Port which were to be exported to Hong Kong in guise of marble slabs wherein 14.25 metric ton of red sander woods were found stuffed and concealed with around 94 metric ton of marble slabs, said ED officials.
They said further investigation under the PMLA revealed that Sharma of Jaipur exported/attempted to export the red sanders supplied by Gadodia of Delhi in connivance with other co-accused persons.
“For the said criminal act, Rs 1 crore and Rs 40 lakh were illegally received by Gadodia and Sharma respectively. Identified properties having value of the said proceeds of crime located at Jaipur, Delhi and Mohali have been provisionally attached under the PMLA,” the ED said in a statement, while noting that further investigation continues in the case.
