Fatta sent 2G money abroad through hawala

AHMEDABAD: During its probe into Rs 5,395 crore hawala racket, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found that money of the 2G scam was routed to Dubai and Hong Kong through hawala by Surat-based dummy firms. Afroz Fatta, kingpin of the hawala racket unearthed in Surat last year, used to send money illegally outside the country through the dummy firms set up by him.

The hawala racket is being monitored by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money.

After the recent arrest of businessman Manish Shah who, on paper, was proprietor of the Dubai-based company, Mabrook Trading, the ED got vital evidence regarding the international transactions of several hawala operators.

Sources said that in December 2013 and January 2014, around Rs 700 crore was transferred through Mabrook Trading to Fatta’s firms. Sources claimed that this money was related to the 2G scam and was diverted to Switzerland and other tax havens. The ED has also found vital evidence related to 2G scam money being transferred from Chennai to tax havens outside India via Surat.