Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a series of raids across multiple districts in Kerala, from Kollam to Malappuram, as part of their investigation into a significant influx of Hawala money into the state. The operation involved simultaneous raids at 15 locations and included a team of 150 officials and security forces.
According to the ED, a staggering amount of 10,000 crore rupees in Hawala money has recently entered Kerala, which came to light after a three-year-long covert investigation. The focus of the raids is on more than 25 hawala operators who are allegedly engaged in large-scale illegal transactions within the state.
Monday evening marked the initiation of the largest raid ever conducted by the ED in Kerala. The cities of Kochi and Kottayam have been identified as major hubs for hawala activities.
In Kochi, the raids targeted various establishments, including a mobile accessories wholesaler in the Pentamenaka shopping mall, a cosmetics and electronics wholesaler near Broadway, travel agencies in Chingawanam, Changanassery, and Etumanur areas of Kottayam, as well as textile shops. The ED revealed that the Pentamenaka area in Kochi alone sees a daily hawala transaction of 50 crore rupees.
The ED has indicated the presence of a nexus between politicians, industrialists, and bureaucrats in these hawala transactions. They have identified money exchanges, jewelers, cloth shops, mobile shops, travel agencies, and stores selling expensive gifts as the key centers facilitating these illicit remittances.
The purpose of these raids is to uncover the full extent of the hawala network operating in Kerala and to take appropriate legal action against those involved in these unlawful activities. The ED’s investigation aims to dismantle the illegal financial channels and ensure that those responsible for the flow of illicit funds are brought to justice.
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