Mirchi hawala: ED sends first Letters Rogatory to UK

The overseas judicial request dispatched recently by the Enforcement Directorate through diplomatic channels has sought to obtain information on the finances, bank accounts and assets of Mirchi and his associates which are suspected to be created by him illegally in the foreign country through dubious ways like hawala.

Sources privy to the development said the LR has been issued after vetting from the Union Finance and Home ministries and has been prepared after some preliminary information conducted by the central probe agency in coordination with their counterparts in London.

Apart from <g data-gr-id="23">UK</g>, the agency is already in touch with few more countries like UAE, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey and Morocco as part of the overseas judicial requests.

The agency, which has recently launched a multi-level probe into the Rs 3,000 crore slush funds ring, has already issued notices to two sons and the widow of Mirchi, his relatives, lawyers and business associates in connection with its investigation conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

As part of the latest LR, the sources said, ED has sought all "available documents and material" which are related to Mirchi and other suspects it has identified in this probe.

Mirchi, who died in 2013 in the UK, is suspected to have laundered and moved funds through the hawala route to purchase a host of properties in at least 10 or more countries with the help of his associates.