LUCKNOW: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations at 14 premises across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and the Delhi-NCR region on September 2 in connection with a money laundering investigation into a large-scale fraudulent toll collection racket operating at the Atraila Toll Plaza in Mirzapur and several other toll plazas across the country.The searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with FIR No. 0017 dated January 22, 2025, registered at Lalganj police station in Mirzapur district.The case came to light in January 2025 when the Uttar Pradesh Police detected fraudulent toll collection at Atraila Shiv Gulam Toll Plaza in Mirzapur.Investigators found that an unauthorised mobile application was being used to collect toll charges from vehicles whose FASTag accounts either did not have sufficient balance or were not being used for the transaction.According to the ED, the illegal system enabled the operators to generate fake toll receipts while concealing the actual collections from the official system of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).This mechanism allegedly allowed toll collections to be diverted or concealed, resulting in revenue loss to the authority.The ED investigation has revealed that unauthorised applications named ‘Mobdata’ and ‘Any’ were developed and deployed to facilitate toll collection from non-FASTag vehicles.The investigation also found that dedicated portals were being maintained to monitor and manage such unauthorised collections.Forensic examination of digital devices seized from the accused has provided investigators with evidence indicating that the system was not confined to a single toll plaza. According to the agency, the mechanism was being used at around 100 toll plazas.Digital records accessed during the investigation have revealed unauthorised toll receipts involving amounts running into crores of rupees, indicating the potentially extensive scale of the operation.The investigation has also pointed towards the involvement of intermediaries and toll collection entities entrusted with toll operations by NHAI. The ED has identified a wider network of toll plazas, individuals and entities whose roles are now being examined as part of the investigation.During Wednesday’s searches, the ED seized approximately Rs 1.03 crore in cash from the premises searched. The agency also froze eight bank lockers as part of its investigation into the financial trail associated with the suspected illegal toll collections.A large volume of incriminating material was recovered and seized during the searches. These included books of account, financial records, bank-related documents and digital devices, besides other documents connected with the operation.Investigators also recovered material relating to toll-wise collections and reporting, non-FASTag transactions, bank accounts and financial transactions.Documents and digital material concerning suspicious communications and the operation and deployment of the unauthorised software were also seized.The recovery of digital devices is considered significant as the ED is examining the software infrastructure, transaction records and communication trails to establish how the unauthorised toll collection mechanism was operated and how the proceeds were routed through various individuals and entities.What initially emerged as a suspected fraud at the Atraila Shiv Gulam Toll Plaza has now expanded into a broader investigation covering multiple toll plazas across the country.The ED’s findings indicate that the unauthorised software-based mechanism may have been deployed on a much larger scale, with forensic evidence pointing to its use at nearly 100 toll plazas.The agency is examining the role of various intermediaries, toll operators and other entities associated with the collection and reporting of toll revenue.Investigators are also scrutinising financial transactions and bank accounts to trace the movement of funds allegedly generated through the unauthorised toll collection system.The ED is further examining the extent of revenue loss caused to NHAI and the manner in which collections were allegedly kept outside the official toll reporting mechanism.The agency said that further investigation is underway.
