HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations spread from Hyderabad to Mizoram’s capital Aizawl and up to the Myanmar border town of Champai in Mizoram. The searches were conducted on February 9 and 10 in connection with the money laundering investigation related to smuggling raw human hair by Chinese operatives, from India to Myanmar via Mizoram.
The ED found that a major portion of the cash generated was used for making illegal payments through unauthorised channels. It found that domestically sold hair was ultimately transported to China via Myanmar. Sale proceeds were being received from shell bank accounts in Mizoram. The shell entities based in Mizoram were taking hundreds of crores of deposits and then remitting the amount to hair merchants across India.
Chief facilitator
Lucas Thangmangliana belonging to remote Champai district is the chief facilitator of this mammoth hawala operation between Chinese firms and the shell companies — M/s St Mary and Gem Industries, and M/s Sun Moon Human Hair in Champai, M/s Thari Enterprises, Aizawl.
139 a/cs frozen
ED has seized incriminating documents and also recovered cash of `1.20 crore. The ED also froze 139 bank accounts.