<h1>ED raids linked to illegal construction and money laundering under PMLA involving officials and fake documents</h1> The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple premises linked to a former municipal commissioner and associates in connection with a money laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The probe concerns large-scale illegal construction of 41 unauthorized buildings on land designated for sewage treatment and dumping, involving a cartel of architects, chartered accountants, liaison agents, and municipal officials colluding to facilitate approvals through corruption and fraud. The buildings were sold to the public with fabricated documents despite knowing they would be demolished, a directive upheld by the Supreme Court after the Bombay High Court ordered demolition. The ED seized incriminating digital evidence, cash, bank deposits, and mutual funds totaling over Rs 12 crore, revealing extensive black money flows and official complicity in the illegal construction scheme.