ED searches premises of PJ Mathew, seizes Rs 76 lakh, property documents
Aug 04, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 4 : Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted a multi-state search operation on Thursday and Friday under the PMLA, 2002 at the residential and multiple other business premises of Puthenveettil Joseph Mathew located in Mumbai and Kerala and seized Rs 76 lakhs and property documents worth Rs 12 crores, officials said.
The officials said that the search proceedings at the residential premises of Puthenveettil Joseph Mathew alias P.J. Mathew, Proprietor, M/s. Mathew International, Mumbai and multiple other business and residential premises located in Mumbai and Kerala were conducted in connection with illegally and dishonestly, collecting crores of rupees from emigrants by indulging in criminal activity.
ED initiated a money laundering investigation under PMLA, 2002 on the basis of an FIR registered by CBI, Cochin against Puthenveettil Joseph Mathew and others.
ED investigation revealed that during the year 2015, P.J. Mathew along with his son, Thomas Mathew, hatched a criminal conspiracy with Mahmood Naina Prabhu, Proprietor, M/s. Munavarra Associates, Mumbai to recruit nurses for the Ministry of Health, Kuwait by using the license fraudulently obtained by M/s. Munavarra Associates from the Government of India.
Further, in pursuance to the conspiracy, P.J. Mathew had obtained demand letters and authorisation letters from Jezan International and Al-Amar Company, Kuwait in the name of M/s. Munavvara Associates, Mumbai for recruitment of nurses for the Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
Adolphus, then Protector of Emigrants, Cochin also joined the conspiracy. Subsequently, they conducted the above recruitment of nurses at Cochin by collecting exorbitant service charges (to the tune of approximately Rs 20 Lakhs) from each candidate as against the maximum prescribed limit of Rs 20,000.
P.J. Mathew and his associates thus thereby cheated the nursing emigrants, and derived proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 205.71 crore.
During the searches, several bank accounts with a cumulative balance of Rs 76 Lakhs have been freezed and documents of immovable properties at a total market value of Rs 12 Crore have been seized.
Further investigation is under progress.
