ED notice to LeT member, two Delhi hawala operators

Show-cause notices have been issued to LeT member Mohammed Ayub Ali Mir, lodged in Tihar jail, and two hawala operators for allegedly delivering money through 'hawala' channels to terrorist organisations, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday.

Mir and the two Delhi-based "hawala operators" -- Bech Raj Bengani and Harbans Singh -- were booked by the ED under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Mir, an active member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was arrested in Delhi by Delhi Police Special Cell while he was collecting Rs 7 lakh from Singh which was delivered through hawala on instructions from a London-based entity, an ED statement said.

"Mir confessed to his relations with LeT. He was involved in collection and delivery of money through hawala for the terrorist organisations," the statement said.

Singh, who is also in jail, had also admitted to involvement in delivering hawala money on the instructions of Bengani, a racketeer in hawala trade and a regular offender, the ED said.

He was earlier booked under erstwhile Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) and a penalty of Rs 50 lakh was imposed on him in 1993.

"Mir and Singh were convicted by a Sessions court in Delhi under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2004. Further adjudication proceedings under FEMA will follow subsequently," the statement added.

--IANS

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