New Delhi, 23 September (IANS) Enforcement Directorate (ED), Panaji has arrested Mohammad Suhail alias Michael, who is the alleged mastermind of a large-scale illegal land-handiculture syndicate in Goa under the provisions of prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
He was arrested from the Colvale Correctional Home on 22 September, where he was already registered in judicial custody in connection with another fixed offense.
Ed said in a statement, “He was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Marses, which allowed Ed Detention for four days. Ed launched an investigation on the basis of FIR, and later a charge sheet was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT – Land Grab), Goa Police.”
The police case was registered against MD Suhail, his wife Anjum Sheikh, and a colleague, Nere Paizal Bhatkar, including cheating, valuable security forgery, and using fake documents under various classes of IPC, 1860.
“ED investigation revealed that MD Suhail was the kingpin of a syndicate involved in illegal acquisition of several properties in Goa,” it said.
The investigation is based on a complaint where the accused and his associates allegedly made a certificate of death to create a fictional legal successor.
The agency said, “Then he fraudulently carried out a succession deed to acquire a property in Anjuna, which was later sold for Rs 50 lakhs, generating the income of crime (POC),” the agency said.
According to the ED, the investigation under the PMLA has highlighted a deep -root conspiracy and a consistent modus operandi. MD. Suhail, in collusion with his colleagues, will identify vacant assets, forge documents, and manipulates in government departments to make fake -owned history.
“These properties were then illegally mutated in the names of their colleagues and later sold,” noted this.
“In a related case in which MD Suhail is the main accused, the ED has already attached 52 illegally acquired properties worth Rs 232.73 crore and filed prosecution complaint against MD Suhail and 35 others,” said this.
During that investigation, MD Suhail himself revealed his participation in illegal acquisition of more than 100 properties.
His arrest is an important development that will enable the ED to highlight the money trail, identify the final use of the POC, and to inquire them to find out the involvement of other individuals in this broader scam.
According to the ED, further investigation is on.
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SAS/UK