Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a sweeping operation against Goa’s growing land grabbing racket, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at 12 different locations across the State, including residential premises in Anjuna and Assagao. The raids form part of an ongoing probe into fraudulent property transactions.
One of the search operations was conducted at a residence in Vailovado, Anjuna, close to the Bhumika Temple, with support from police teams from Goa and Mumbai. The home of a panchayat member was among those covered in the action. According to sources, investigators seized several documents suspected to be linked to dubious land dealings in the Siolim constituency.
The crackdown is focused on cases involving illegal land acquisitions, forged sale deeds, and questionable transfers of prime properties — many belonging to Goans settled abroad. Over the past few years, Goa has seen a surge in such scams, with allegations of local functionaries working hand-in-glove with land racketeers.
Following a wave of complaints, the State government had referred multiple cases to central agencies, prompting Tuesday’s coordinated ED intervention. Officials said the seized documents will now be scrutinised to trace financial flows and identify the beneficiaries behind what is being described as one of the State’s most audacious land scams.
