ED arrests Mumbai bullion trader under PMLA for purchasing 258 kg gold

ED is probing the case under PMLA and it is expected to produce Patel in a special Mumbai court on Saturday

The ED on Friday arrested a city-based bullion trader for allegedly purchasing a whopping 258 kg of gold in about a month's time post demonetisation using tainted money.

The central probe agency said it arrested "Chandrakant Narsidas Patel of M/s Pushpak Bullions Private Limited for money laundering in the post demonetisation period", under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency called Patel as the mastermind in this money laundering scam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement that it was found that cash to the tune of Rs 84.5 crore were deposited in the account of companies — M/s Pihu Gold and M/s Satnam Jewels — post demonetisation.

"The said amount was deposited in cash within a short span of 41 days between November-December 2016. The said funds were subsequently transferred to the account of Pushpak Bullions and further used towards purchase of 258 kg gold bullion," it said.

The ED said the account of Pushpak Bullion was "already a declared non-performing asset (NPA) by the bank concerned".

"Preliminary investigation indicated that the said companies did not have matching economic wherewithal to have entered into such transactions in cash and subsequently layering the same through investments in gold bullion," it said.

The agency is probing the case under PMLA and it is expected to produce Patel in a special Mumbai court tomorrow.

The two currencies of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were demonetised after a declaration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8.