The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Rajiv Saxena in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged bank fraud. Saxena is also an accused in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP choppers deal case.
The agency will produce him before a competent court to seek his custody, officials said. Saxena, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deals case, was based in Dubai and was deported to India from the UAE on January 31, 2019. Following his deportation, the agency arrested him in a chopper deal case.
The helicopter deal was subsequently scrapped by the Centre in 2014 after allegations of payment of kickbacks surfaced.
"Saxena is a hawala operator who runs accommodation entry business in Dubai through numerous companies, known as Matrix group companies, and has laundered proceeds of crime in the cases of AgustaWestland chopper scam (linked to purchase of VVIP choppers by India) and Moser Baer bank fraud case," the ED had earlier said.
“Saxena created structures for laundering proceeds of crime generated by accused of both cases either for the kickbacks in AgustaWestland case or defrauding banks by mis-utilising the loans given to Moser Baer India Ltd and its subsidiaries,” the ED had alleged, adding his role was under investigation in a number of other cases.