The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches in multiple states as part of a money laundering investigation linked to 'fraudulent' toll collection at various NHAI plazas, officials said.
ED officials said about 14 premsies in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and West Bengal were brought under the searches.
The raid was taken after ED took cognisance of two police FIRs under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
According to the officials, the FIRs allege use of unauthorised software applications for generating toll receipts and "diversion" of toll collections outside the official accounting mechanism.
Forensic examination and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) records have corroborated deployment of such software, ED officials said.
The searches aim at recovering digital and documentary evidence, identifying beneficiaries and tracing proceeds of crime, they said.
(With inputs from PTI)