ED searches meat exporter Qureshi's premises

Searches were carried out today at the premises of controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi and two alleged hawala operators by the Enforcement Directorate which has registered a case under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against him.
Qureshi, two employees of his business firms and two hawala operators based in Turkman Gate and Greater Kailash-I area here were brought to Directorate's Delhi office where they were questioned by the sleuths, official sources said.
Qureshi was quizzed for close to four hours while others were questioned for some more time, the sources said.
They said a total of seven premises, five of Qureshi and two belonging to the alleged hawala operatives, were searched by sleuths under the provisions of the FEMA.

After his questioning, Qureshi did not interact with the waiting media and stepped in his car and left.
Qureshi's flat in posh Defence colony and his palatial residence-cum-farmhouse in Chhattarpur were also searched by ED officials, officials said, adding few documents and computer peripherals have been seized.

Officials said the searches were launched as the agency was "looking for documents and evidence" in connection with the dealings of the businessman against whom the Income Tax department carried out a similar exercise last year for alleged tax evasion.
The ED has taken over the case after the I-T department shared documents indicating hawala and alleged violations of FEMA laws by the businessman and his business entities based here.

The ED alleged that Qureshi has sent "huge amount of funds" through the hawala route to Dubai, London and few other overseas destinations in Europe. The sleuths were looking for some more black money operatives who allegedly aided Qureshi in routing illegal funds of his and his associates.