The Enforcement Directorate delivered a stern message to timber mafias, attaching 14 immovable assets valued at ₹11.3 crore in Ahmedabad over Khair wood smuggling and money laundering. Conducted under PMLA, 2002, the move strikes at the heart of an illicit empire exploiting Gujarat’s woodlands.
Roots trace to an FIR by Surat’s Mandvi South Range forest official, highlighting Wildlife Protection Act breaches. A gang led by Mustak Adam Tasiya and Mohammad Tahir Ahmad Hussain plundered Khair trees from protected zones in multiple districts—Vyara, Tapi, Surat, Valsad, Navsari, Narmada—sans permissions, smuggling loads to distant markets for hefty illicit gains.
Government coffers suffered massive hits, paralleled by ecological devastation. Laundered proceeds funded lavish properties in Godhra, now under provisional attachment. Previously, ED nabbed two assets from Prem Devi Luniya and Payal Choksey, officially ₹53.50 lakh but market-priced at ₹4.65 crore.
Interwoven is a CBI case from 2018, sparked by Oriental Bank’s grievance against Ranjit Luniya’s entities. A chargesheet detailed conspiracies involving fake records, bogus valuations by Mayur Shah, and bank insider help to bag loans far exceeding approvals. Diverted cash fueled bullion trades and housing, inflating NPAs to ₹10.932 crore.
With investigations unrelenting, this operation spotlights how green crimes bankroll corruption. ED’s actions promise accountability, urging stricter forest vigil and financial oversight to prevent recurrence.