The Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached assets worth Rs 79.93 crore belonging to a Punjab-based firm as part of a money laundering probe linked to alleged large-scale groundwater pollution, officials said.
The attached properties include land parcels, buildings, and plant and machinery owned by Malbros International Pvt Ltd.
The action was taken by the ED’s Jalandhar Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The investigation is based on a criminal complaint filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, which accused the company of violating provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
According to the complaint, the company illegally disposed of untreated industrial wastewater
by injecting it into deep underground aquifers through a process known as reverse boring.
The ED said Malbros International, which operates an industrial unit in Mansoorwal village in Zira tehsil of Ferozepur district, deliberately avoided setting up proper effluent treatment systems to cut costs.
Investigators alleged that the firm generated “proceeds of crime” by repeatedly and secretly discharging untreated effluents into the groundwater.
The agency further claimed that wastewater was also routinely released onto open land, into drains, and into a nearby sugar mill, making the illegal disposal of effluents part of the company’s regular operations.
These practices, the ED said, caused extensive environmental damage.
According to officials, the pollution led to severe groundwater contamination, resulting in crop damage, cattle deaths and serious health issues among residents of surrounding villages.
The impact has been described as widespread and largely irreversible, with long-term consequences for both the environment and public health.
Earlier, on July 16, 2024, the ED carried out searches at six locations linked to the company and its directors under Section 17 of the PMLA, during which cash amounting to Rs 78.15 lakh was seized.
Officials said the attachment of assets marks a significant step in the investigation and reflects the agency’s approach of treating serious environmental violations as financial crimes under anti-money laundering laws.
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