S Ahmed Ali, TNN, Dec 6, 2010, 01.22am IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/UK-police-team-in-city-to-investigate-hawala-scam/articleshow/7050270.cms

MUMBAI: A police team from London landed in the city on Sunday to investigate a money-laundering scam that originated in the UK.

The two-member team, which arrived early on Sunday, is likely to meet senior crime branch officials on Monday to seek their help in cracking the Rs 500-crore scam and tracing the gang that has spread its tentacles across five countries.

The alleged kingpin man against whom the investigation is going on is a UK resident, Nasir Khan Patel, who came under the scanner of the UK police for transferring huge amounts of money to accounts in different countries, including India.

A source said the crime branch would assign a dedicated team from the economic offences wing (EOW) for the probe. "Our team will be headed by a senior police officer who will assist the UK duo. The UK police believe that Patel has transferred money into 'benami' accounts across India, especially in Mumbai," said an officer. A source said that the UK police had some leads on which the Mumbai cops would help them.

This is the second time that a team of the UK police is in Mumbai to investigate a money-laundering scam. Earlier this year, a team was in the city to probe a multi-crore money-laundering scam started by Bhadresh Gohil, a solicitor from London. Gohil laundered money for a Nigerian politician. Gohil was accused of siphoning off funds from the UK and Nigeria through hawala networks and then buying properties in Mumbai with the money.