Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes: ED's big seizures in Rs 1,200-crore Goa land scam

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Panaji Zonal Office, conducted search operations on September 9 and 10 at 13 residential and commercial premises across Goa and Hyderabad in connection with the illegal land grabbing of Communidade lands, involving Yeshwant Sawant and others.

During the searches, the ED seized cash amounting to approximately Rs 72 lakh and seven high-end vehicles, including a Porsche Cayman, BMW 650 L, Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW M5, and Audi A6. Multiple bank accounts and fixed deposits belonging to the individuals involved were also frozen. Investigators recovered and seized various incriminating documents related to these land transactions.

The operations were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED initiated the investigation based on an FIR registered by the Goa Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, concerning the illegal acquisition of land belonging to the Communidade of Anjuna.

The searches revealed that the accused had illegally mutated more than 3,50,000 square meters of land in prime areas of Goa, including Anjuna and Assagaon, using forged old documents submitted to authorities to facilitate the mutation process. Portions of these properties were subsequently sold to generate additional proceeds of crime (POC) worth crores of rupees. The total market valuation of the illegally grabbed land is estimated to exceed Rs 1,200 crore.

The ongoing investigation is expected to uncover a wider network of individuals involved in illegal land grabbing across Goa. Further investigation is underway.

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