In a first, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has auctioned a seized aircraft under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), selling the Hawker 800A for Rs 3 crore as part of its efforts to monetise assets linked to alleged money laundering, ANI reported.
In an official statement, the ED said a Hawker 800A aircraft was auctioned through MSTC Ltd. on July 1 for a sale consideration of Rs 3 crore.
The agency described the auction as the first such sale of a seized aircraft in its enforcement history.
The aircraft had been seized during a search operation carried out by the ED's Hyderabad Zonal Office on March 7, 2025, at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
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The seizure was made in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation involving Amardeep Kumar, Capital Protection Force Pvt Ltd, and other accused.
According to the ED, the aircraft was identified as part of assets allegedly connected to proceeds of crime being investigated under the PMLA.
Following the completion of the legal process, the agency proceeded with its disposal through MSTC Limited, a government-backed e-auction platform.
The sale reflects the ED's increasing focus on attaching, preserving and ultimately disposing of assets allegedly derived from financial crimes, subject to legal provisions.
Such auctions are aimed at preventing the depreciation of high-value movable assets while ensuring value realisation through a transparent process.
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The development also highlights the agency's growing use of digital auction mechanisms for the disposal of seized properties in complex economic offence investigations, setting a precedent for similar cases involving movable assets in the future.
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