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2d ago

ED Attaches Rs 79.93 Crore of Malbros Assets in Punjab Pollution Money-Laundering Probe

The action follows a state pollution board complaint accusing the Zira-based unit of injecting untreated effluent into deep aquifers through reverse boring.

ED’s Jalandhar zonal office attached the properties in the form of land, building and the controversial liquor factory in Zira and its machinery under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. (HT)
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Overview

  • The Jalandhar zonal office of the Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached land, buildings, and plant and machinery of Malbros International Pvt Ltd under the PMLA.
  • Officials said the probe stems from a Punjab Pollution Control Board complaint focused on the company’s industrial unit at Mansoorwal in Zira, Ferozepur.
  • Investigators alleged the firm repeatedly discharged untreated wastewater into groundwater and onto land and drains, causing severe contamination, crop losses, cattle deaths, and health issues in nearby villages.
  • The ED cited earlier searches on July 16, 2024 at six locations linked to the company and its directors, which led to the seizure of Rs 78.15 lakh in cash.
  • Hindustan Times reported the attached assets include the Zira liquor factory, and separate ED teams in Shimla reported freezing Rs 1.2 crore in an unrelated crypto Ponzi/MLM case.