Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found that money from the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam may have been moved to Dubai. This new angle came to light after investigators recovered chat messages and ledgers during their latest raids.
The chats, found on seized devices, show conversations between middlemen and some accused who are now absconding in Dubai. These messages point to the transfer of crores of rupees abroad. Hand-written ledgers seized alongside the devices also record remittances linked to the scam.
What ED found in the raids
On September 18, the ED searched nearly 20 locations in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Raipur and Delhi-NCR. The raids focused on jewellery traders, packaging units and small firms suspected of helping move illegal funds. Officials also seized about ₹38 lakh in unaccounted cash and collected bank and invoice records from front companies.
How the money moved
Investigators believe the scam worked in layers:
- Distilleries and distributors allegedly inflated bills for packaging and raw materials.
- The extra payments went to shell firms and allied businesses, which withdrew the money in cash or converted it into gold and jewellery.
- A portion of these funds was then sent abroad, with Dubai emerging as a hub through hawala operators.
Why it matters
Earlier this year, the AP Special Investigation Team (SIT) said that liquor supply contracts worth ₹10,800 crore were tied to kickbacks of ₹1,677 crore. While the SIT exposed the domestic money trail, ED’s findings now suggest that part of the scam money was moved outside India.
The Next Step
Officials said the agency will soon issue letters rogatory (LRs) to seek help from UAE authorities. It will also summon individuals named in the chats for questioning. Meanwhile, forensic audits are underway to freeze benami assets and suspect bank accounts in India.
With the Dubai link in focus, the liquor scam has widened into a cross-border money laundering case, one of the largest of its kind linked to Andhra Pradesh.
