BENGALURU/NEW DELHI, 13 AUG

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided premises linked to State Congress MLA Satish Krishna Sail and some others as part of a money laundering investigation against the legislator in a case related to the alleged illegal export of iron ore, official sources said.

At least 15 premises in Karnataka, Goa and Mumbai are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Sail is a Congress MLA representing the Karwar assembly constituency in the Uttara Kannada district.

Sail, according to the sources, has been accused of exporting illegally mined iron ore, which was seized by forest officials at Belekeri port in Karwar, Karnataka.

This caused "loss" to the government exchequer for an amount of about Rs 38 crore, but the actual value of illegally exported ore is worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the sources said.

Additionally, the agency is scrutinising financial transactions, property records, and links to alleged accomplices in the illegal mining and export network.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, ED searched nine premises across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra in connection with a money laundering case against the Sahara group, the agency said.