New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a criminal hailing from Jharkhand, alleged to have trafficked over 5,000 people, as part of a money laundering investigation against him, the agency said on Sunday.
Panna Lal Mahto alias Ganjhu was arrested while he was lodged in the Birsa Munda central jail in Ranchi as part of a criminal probe of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against him.
After being arrested by the ED, Mahto was sent to five days custody of the federal agency by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi on December 10.
Mahto is a resident of Khunti district of Jharkhand and he was arrested by the state police in 2006 and 2015 for these alleged crimes. He, however, obtained bail in these cases.
"Multiple cases were registered against him (Mahto) in Khunti, Ranchi and Delhi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for the offences of kidnapping, trafficking etc.
"He had networks in Delhi, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In Delhi, he used to operate an agency in the name of Panna Lal Placement Agency," the ED said in a statement.
It is estimated, the agency said, that Mahto "trafficked not less than 5,000 people."
The ED investigation against Mahto found that he has "amassed huge property in Jharkhand, Delhi and other states from the activities related to illegal human trafficking."
"Immovable properties in the form of land in Ranchi and Khunti districts have been identified to have been acquired by Mahto out of the proceeds of crime," it said.
The agency said the accused and his accomplices are also operating various bank accounts having "number of high-value transactions, which appear to have been acquired and transacted out of proceeds of crime.
