Chinese national Charlie Peng booked by ED for money laundering

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against Chinese national Charlie Peng for allegedly running a hawala racket worth an estimated 1,000 crore rupees using shell or dubious firms.

The central probe agency has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against 42 year old Charlie Peng alias Luo Sang who is alleged to be the kingpin of the racket. Peng and some of his alleged associates, including Indians, and bankers were raided by the Income Tax Department last week.

The taxman had searched at least two dozen premises, including that of Peng in Gurgaon.

The ED has taken cognizance of the tax department evidence and action and a Delhi Police Special Cell FIR against Peng before filing the criminal case of money laundering against him.

Sources said, Peng is alleged to be holding a fake Indian passport and tax officials had said he created a web of sham companies to launder hawala funds to and from China in the past two-three years. His front or showcase business was import and export of medical and electronic goods and some other items.

Peng was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in September, 2018 on charges of fraud and forgery and was allegedly running an illegal money changer. He is currently being questioned by the tax department apart from central intelligence agencies. The tax department is searching dozens of bank accounts linked to shell firms in this case even as it has issued prohibitory orders against a number of these accounts.