An IRS officer Sachin Sawant who served as an Additional Commissioner of Customs and GST was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering probe, according to official sources. According to information obtained, ED sleuths conducted searches at Sawant’s Mumbai residence.
The raid was conducted on the basis of a disproportionate assets case registered against the officer by the CBI, sources said. The sources said that the ED also raided and searched the houses of Sawant’s relatives on the same day. Sources said that the accused officer Sachin Sawant, who earlier worked as deputy director in ED Mumbai Zone 2 is accused for acquiring disproportionate assets.
It can be recalled that the accused officer had investigated the case of illegal diversion and remittance of over Rs 500 crore by some diamond companies. It is learnt that an accused who was arrested in the case had filed a complaint against Sachin Sawant accusing of amassing disproportionate assets. The complaint by the accused in the case prompted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a case against Sawant, sources said.
On Tuesday, the ED conducted raids at various locations in Mumbai, including Sachin Sawant’s residence. The search operation by the ED sleuths continued till midnight. It was not immediately known whether the ED seized any incriminating documents or any other material from Sawant’s residence during the raids.
