SRINAGAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at around 14 premises, including locations in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged fraudulent toll collection at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plazas, officials said.
The searches were carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi-NCR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
The ED initiated the probe after taking cognisance of two police FIRs alleging that unauthorised software applications were being used to generate toll receipts and divert collections outside the official accounting mechanism.
Forensic examination and NHAI records have corroborated the alleged deployment of such software, according to ED officials.
The searches are aimed at securing digital and documentary evidence, identifying the alleged beneficiaries and tracing the suspected proceeds of crime, officials said.
The investigation is continuing.
