New Delhi: The enforcement directorate (ED) took major action on Sunday and arrested two Chinese nationals for money laundering. The names of Chinese citizens are Charlie Peng and Carter Li. Both were living in Delhi running a big hawala racket for Chinese companies, causing loss of crores of revenue to the Indian government. The Income Tax Department raided the locations of Charlie Peng last year. Subsequently, a special team of Delhi Police has recently registered an FIR against Peng.
The ED had filed a money laundering case against Charlie in August. The ED had been investigating Charlie Peng’s suspicious transaction for so long. The investigation also revealed that Peng was not only in hawala business in India, but also spied on the Tibetan religion guru Dalai Lama. Charlie was running a fake hawala network in India. Charlie had registered a company named Invin Logistics India Private Limited at the address of the firm Spring Plaza located at Sector 59 Golf Course Road in Cyber City Gurugram, Delhi NCR. However, according to the manager of the plaza, there was no Chinese company here. Similarly, he was earning money by operating fake companies through fake addresses.
The Income Tax Department conducted raids on August 12 against Peng and some of his alleged accomplices, including Indian and bank personnel. Income tax officials raided at least two dozen premises including Peng’s campus in Gurugram. Officials said the ED had taken cognizance of the evidence and action taken by the Income Tax Department and the special unit of Delhi Police against Peng before registering a criminal money laundering case against Peng.
According to sources, Peng is accused of possessing fake Indian passports and income tax officials said that he had formed a network of fake companies in the last two-three years to withdraw money from China. He said that he used to do the business importing and exporting medical and electronic goods and some other items for the show.