ED seizes business jet at Hyderabad airport in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has seized a business jet parked at the Hyderabad airport as part of a money laundering investigation against a Hyderabad-based company and its promoters who allegedly duped investors in a Rs 850 crore Ponzi "scam".

The case stems from a Cyberabad police FIR against Falcon Group (Capital Protection Force Pvt Ltd), its CMD Amar Deep Kumar and some others, official sources said on Saturday. It is alleged that the group "collected" Rs 1,700 crore from investors for high returns through a "fraudulent" invoice discounting investment scheme.

Rs 850 crore, out of the total funds, was re-paid leaving a total of 6,979 investors unpaid, according to the sources. Kumar, the sources said, fled the country using this jet. He or his company could not be contacted immediately for a response on the charges.

Officials from the ED's Hyderabad office found that the 8-seater business jet 'N935H Hawker 800A' (owned by a company of Kumar) landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport located in the Shamshabad area on Friday, the sources said.

A search of the jet, purchased for about $1.6 million (about Rs 14 crore) in 2024, was conducted by ED officials on Friday and they also recorded the statement of the crew and some "close associates" of Kumar present there, the sources said.

The business plane, owned by Kumar's private charter company named Prestige Jets Inc, was seized after the search, they said.

The agency believes that the jet was purchased from the "proceeds of crime" of the alleged Ponzi scheme. The ED sought a general declaration about the jet's movement from the Customs department after which it was found that Kumar along with another person left the country onboard the said aircraft on January 22.

The Cyberabad police have arrested the vice president and director of the company as part of its investigation, the sources said.