Assets worth Rs 79.93 crore belonging to a Punjab-based company has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an environmental crime involving large-scale water pollution.
The attached properties include land, buildings, and plant and machinery owned by Malbros International Pvt Ltd. The provisional attachment was carried out by the ED's Jalandhar Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The probe stems from a criminal complaint filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, which accused the company of violating the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The company allegedly injected untreated industrial wastewater into deep aquifers through a method known as reverse boring.
According to the ED, Malbros International, which operates an industrial unit in Mansoorwal village of Zira tehsil in Ferozepur district, deliberately polluted groundwater to avoid the cost of proper effluent treatment. Investigators said the company generated "proceeds of crime" by repeatedly and covertly discharging untreated effluents into deep aquifers.
The agency also found that wastewater was routinely discharged onto land, into drains, and into an adjoining sugar mill. The ED said such practices were part of the company's daily operations and resulted in extensive and irreversible environmental damage.
The pollution reportedly caused severe contamination of groundwater, leading to crop losses, cattle deaths, and serious health problems among residents of nearby villages. The ED described the damage as large-scale and irreparable, with long-term ecological and public health consequences.
Earlier, on July 16, 2024, the ED conducted searches at six locations linked to Malbros International and its directors under Section 17 of the PMLA. During the searches, cash amounting to Rs 78.15 lakh was seized.
The attachment of assets marks a significant escalation in the enforcement action, underscoring the agency's focus on linking environmental violations with financial crimes under the money laundering law.
