ED Attaches Rs.6.52 Crore Assets Of Daman Bootlegger

DAMAN : A Daman bootlegger accused of building a business empire through alleged intimidation and criminal activities has suffered another major financial blow, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attaching 17 immovable properties worth ₹6.52 crore belonging to Suresh alias Sukha Patel and his associates.

The action was carried out by the ED’s Surat Sub-Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a money laundering investigation arising from cases registered in Daman, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Patel, a former president of the Daman District Panchayat, is facing allegations linked to several serious offences, including corruption, extortion, murder, illegal possession of weapons, forgery and use of bogus passports.

According to the ED, Patel allegedly established dominance over the scrap trading and transport businesses in Daman by using threats, coercion and force, with his criminal background creating fear among rival traders.

The latest action takes the total value of movable and immovable assets seized or attached by the agency in the case to ₹13.85 crore.

The ED had earlier frozen cash and bank balances worth ₹2.90 crore and attached 24 immovable properties valued at around ₹4.42 crore in Daman and Mumbai.

The agency’s investigation was initiated following FIRs registered against Patel and his associates in Daman, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The cases allegedly reveal a network involving multiple serious criminal activities.

The ED had filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court at Daman on November 27, 2024, against Patel, his associate Mahesh Nanda and others.

With the latest attachment, properties located in Daman and Valsad worth ₹6.52 crore have come under the agency’s action, further tightening the financial probe into Patel’s alleged criminal operations.

The ED’s action underscores its focus on tracing and attaching assets allegedly generated through criminal activities and preventing their use or transfer during money laundering proceedings.