Enforcement Directorate (ED) has freezed a BELL 214 Helicopter of Hameed Ibrahim and Abdulla of Marilog Avion Services Co. Ltd., Bangkok, stored at J.Matadee Free Trade Warehouse Zone, Chennai under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
This was consequent upon the request made by US Department of Justice. The said helicopter has been under investigation owing to a case registered by the US Department of Homeland Security over its alleged end use in a prohibited country, says a press release from the ED.
The helicopter was imported by Hameed Ibrahim and Abdulla of Marilog Avion from AAR Corporation, US and it was shipped to India through Thailand in the 2019.
The helicopter was kept at the warehouse on a monthly rental basis. During the search proceedings, the helicopter was found in dismantled condition; that its rotar blade, tailboom, engine, rotor hub were seen to be detached from the helicopter and seen in a separate package. Subsequently, a freezing order under Section 17(1A) of PMLA, 2002 was issued to the custodian of the premises, restraining further movement of the helicopter and its spare parts from the warehouse, the release said.