ED freezes 23 bank accounts of Popular Front of India in money laundering case 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen bank accounts linked to Popular Front of India (PFI), an extremist organisation, in connection with a money laundering case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 23 bank accounts linked to Popular Front of India (PFI) with collective balance of Rs 59 lakhs and 10 bank accounts of PFI’s front organisation, Rehab India Foundation (RIF), with balance of Rs 9.50 lakh in a money laundering case, officials said.

ED has alleged that huge amount of cash from questionable sources were received by PFI and RIF.

“An amount of more than Rs 60 crore have been deposited in the accounts of PFI which includes cash deposit of more than Rs 30 crore since 2009. Similarly, around Rs 58 Crore have been deposited in the accounts of RIF since 2010,” ED said in a statement.

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According to officials, PFI in active collusion with other associated accused persons has indulged in laundering of proceeds of crime. The financial probe agency has also alleged that proceeds of crime were mobilised in the form of cash which were deposited in its bank accounts by falsely projecting them as cash donations from members.

“Similarly, in order to obliterate the fund trail and circumvent the regulatory rigour, proceeds of crime were mobilised in the form of cash and deposited by PFI leaders in the bank accounts of various individuals and immediately thereafter these funds were transferred from bank accounts to PFI’s bank account,” added the ED statement.

PFI was also allegedly involved in mobilising funds through well-organized network in Gulf countries as part of criminal conspiracy and these proceeds of crime were secretly and clandestinely sent to India through underground and illegal channels and by way of foreign remittances into the bank accounts of sympathisers, office bearers, members and their relatives, associates in India and thereafter these funds were transferred to the bank accounts of PFI, RIF, other individuals and entities.