The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) ongoing investigation into an alleged coal smuggling syndicate has brought to light a possible connection with election-related activities in Goa, sources told NDTV. According to officials, raids conducted at premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) are part of a probe into the alleged use of proceeds of crime (POC) during the 2021-22 Goa Assembly elections.
Investigators claim that funds generated through the coal smuggling operation, allegedly led by Anup Majee, were diverted using both domestic and international hawala channels. One hawala operator, identified as R Kantilal from Kolkata, is alleged to have facilitated the transfer of around Rs 20 crore to Goa. The link reportedly emerged from WhatsApp chats recovered from an accountant associated with the coal syndicate.
The ED has traced money transfers from Kolkata to a person named Akshay Kumar, who, in his statement, claimed to be associated with firms M/s Hertz and Pixelz. He reportedly told investigators that these companies worked with I-PAC during the Goa elections.
Further, the agency alleges that cash was routed via hawala to ASM Event and Tech Pvt Ltd, an event management firm engaged during the election period. The ED also claims that I-PAC director Pratik Jain handled operations in Goa and facilitated the transfer of funds for election-related activities. Investigations are ongoing.
