Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Mar 14: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Goa has provisionally attached three immovable properties worth Rs 6.27 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with an ongoing probe against Estevan D’Souza and others.

With the latest action, the total value of assets attached by the agency in the case has reached around Rs 78.14 crore.

The ED’s money laundering investigation originates from multiple FIRs registered by Porvorim Police Station and the Economic Offences Cell of the Goa Police against D’Souza along with Moses Fernandes and Mohammed Suhail.

According to officials, the accused allegedly orchestrated a criminal conspiracy to fraudulently grab several immovable properties across Goa.

Investigations revealed that the group used a sophisticated modus operandi involving impersonating original landowners, creating fake sale deeds, fabricated identity documents and forged powers of attorney. The accused then allegedly induced unsuspecting buyers to purchase the properties and collected large sums of money through fraudulent agreements.

The ED also found that apart from selling the land to third parties, the accused had “mutated” three additional properties in the names of their family members using forged documents.

The agency has classified these assets as “proceeds of crime” under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA.

Meanwhile, the ED has already filed a prosecution complaint against D’Souza and his associates before the Special PMLA Court. The court has taken cognisance of the complaint and the case is currently under trial.