New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS): Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it carried out searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and Kerala, including the residential of Puthenveettil Joseph Mathew aka P.J. Mathew Proprietor of Mathew International, Mumbai in connection with illegally and dishonestly collecting crores of rupees from emigrants by indulging in criminal activity.

The ED said that the agency carried out searches at multiple locations on August 2 and 3 in Mumbai and Kerala on the premises linked to Mathew and multiple other business and residential premises.

The ED in a statement said that during searches, several bank accounts with cumulative balance of Rs 76 lakh have been freezed and documents of immovable properties at a total market value of Rs 12 crore have been seized.

The ED registered a case of money laundering investigation on the basis of CBI FIR Mathew and others.

The financial probe agency said that during the probe it was revealed that during the year 2015, Mathew along with his son, Thomas Mathew aka Tom Mathew, hatched a criminal conspiracy with Mahmood Naina Prabhu, Proprietor, Munavarra Associates, Mumbai to recruit nurses for Ministry of Health, Kuwait by using the license fraudulently obtained by Munavarra Associates from the Government of India.

It said that Mathew further obtained demand letters and authorisation letters from Jezan International and Al-Amar Company, Kuwait in the name of Munavvara Associates, Mumbai for recruitment of nurses for the Ministry of Health, Kuwait. Adolphus, then Protector of Emigrants, Cochin also joined the conspiracy.

“Subsequently, they conducted the above recruitment of nurses at Cochin by collecting exorbitant service charges (to the tune of approximately Rs 20 lakh) from each candidate as against the maximum prescribed limit of Rs 20,000. Mathew and his associates thus, thereby cheated the nursing emigrants, and derived proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 205.71 crore,” it added.