Bengaluru, April 20 (IANS) In a significant development in the alleged Bitcoin-linked money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out searches that have brought alleged links of Congress leaders into focus.

Raids were conducted at the residences of Congress MLA, N.A. Haris and his son, State President Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress, Mohammed Nalapad in Bengaluru, at the same time the agency expanded its probe into a wider network involving hacker Srikrishna aka Sriki and other accused.

According to official sources, the ED conducted search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at 12 premises across Karnataka under the tight protection of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

The investigation stems from multiple FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Karnataka Police, which accuse the involved people of hacking national and international websites, stealing bitcoins, extortion, and violations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act.

The agency’s probe has revealed an alleged modus operandi involving hacking of websites and cryptocurrency wallets to steal Virtual Digital Assets (VDAs), followed by routing these assets through crypto trading platforms. The proceeds were then allegedly layered through bank accounts to conceal their origin.

During the searches, ED officials also covered the premises of Aqeeb Khan, grandson of former Union Minister K. Rahman Khan. His uncle, Mansoor Ali Khan, had represented Bangalore Central in the Lok Sabha. The ED has alleged that Aqeeb Khan is a direct beneficiary of the proceeds of crime.

Earlier in the day, ED teams searched the residence of N.A. Haris in Ashok Nagar and the house of his son Mohammed Nalapad. The action is reportedly linked to alleged connections between Nalapad and Srikrishna. The ED has previously alleged that illegal transactions worth Rs 4.5 crore took place between the two.

Mohammed Nalapad had also been questioned earlier by the State CID in connection with the Bitcoin case. Officials said that scrutiny of seized documents is underway and further investigation is in progress. The ED is yet issue an official statement in this regard. More details are yet to emerge.

–IANS

mka/rad