Hyderabad: Hyderabad has figured in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) first-ever auction of an aircraft, with the agency selling a seized Hawker 800A private jet for Rs 3 crore as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged Rs 792-crore invoice discounting fraud.
The aircraft, attached in connection with the case against Hyderabad-based Capital Protection Force Pvt Ltd, also known as Falcon Group, and its promoters, was auctioned by the ED’s Hyderabad Zonal Office through the MSTC platform on July 1, 2026.
Aircraft seized at RGIA in 2025
According to the ED, the jet was seized during search operations conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on March 7, 2025, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The seizure was subsequently confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority under the PMLA in August 2025.
The agency later secured permission from the Adjudicating Authority in November 2025 to sell the aircraft under the Prevention of Money Laundering (Taking Possession of Attached or Frozen Properties Confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2013, paving the way for what became the first aircraft auction in the ED’s history.
The money laundering investigation stems from three cases registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Cyberabad Police against Capital Protection Force Pvt Ltd, its chairman and managing director Amardeep Kumar and others.
Investigators alleged that the company operated a bogus invoice discounting scheme, luring investors with promises of high returns by claiming to offer discounted settlement of invoices raised for purchases made by businesses. The ED said the company had no genuine invoice discounting operations and instead collected huge sums from investors on false promises.
According to investigators, nearly Rs 792 crore was mobilised through the scheme and subsequently diverted for purposes unrelated to the business. The proceeds of crime were allegedly routed into the acquisition of personal assets and properties in the names of associates and benamis.
After investors failed to recover their money, several victims approached the Economic Offences Wing alleging fraud, leading to criminal cases and subsequent money laundering proceedings by the ED.
In the course of the investigation, the agency arrested Amardeep Kumar’s brother Sandeep Kumar, chartered accountant Sharad Chandra Toshniwal and Aryan Singh Chhabra, chief executive officer of Falcon Invoice Discounting. The ED had earlier filed a prosecution complaint before the designated PMLA court in September 2025.
Rs 3 cr realised from sale
The agency said the Rs 3 crore realised from the sale of the Hawker 800A would be used for restitution to genuine investors, subject to permission from the Special PMLA Court.
The ED said investigations into the alleged fraud and the tracing of additional assets linked to the proceeds of crime are continuing.
