Panaji, Apr 26 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple locations in Goa in connection with a land scam of Rs 1,000 crore allegedly involving fraudulent transfers of high-value land parcels in prime tourist hotspots, a senior official has said.

The official said the searches were conducted on Thursday and Friday based on intelligence and subsequent financial investigation, which revealed that Rohan Harmalkar is a key mastermind.

Harmalkar and other associates resorted to a large conspiracy to illegally appropriate land belonging to rightful owners through “fraudulent means including impersonation, creation of fake documents, tampering with revenue records, etc, as per an ED statement issued on Friday evening.

Harmalkar had contested the 2022 Goa legislative assembly election as an Independent candidate from the Cumbharjua constituency.

According to ED, these properties, originally owned by individuals and family estates, were unlawfully sold without their consent, causing serious financial and legal distress to such victims.

The operations were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The searches uncovered incriminating property documents, the current market value of which exceeds Rs 1,000 crores, including forged title deeds, indicating manipulation of land records and fraudulent transfers of high-value land parcels spanning several lakhs of square meters in prime tourist hotspots like Anjuna, Arpora, and Asagoan in Bardez Taluka, the anti-money laundering agency said.

The ED seized original documents of immovable properties worth more than Rs 600 crore during the search action.

The search revealed that the proceeds of crime were further laundered through various individuals and benami entities and finally invested in real estate, luxury vehicles, and other high-value assets.

Further investigation is ongoing to trace the money trail, identify other beneficiaries, and the roles of others, including government officials, connected with the process of illegal property transactions, the ED added. PTI RPS NSK