ED action in Sriki crypto case: MLA Haris’ sons among those under scanner

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday carried out extensive searches at multiple locations in Bengaluru linked to Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris and his family members in a cryptocurrency-related money laundering investigation , officials said.

Around a dozen premises were searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) . The action covered properties linked to MLA Haris’ sons Mohammed Haris Nalapad and Omar Farook Nalapad as well as those associated with alleged cyber hacker Srikrishna Ramesh, alias “Sriki.”

N A Haris represents the Shantinagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru and is a senior leader of the Karnataka Congress.

According to officials, the money laundering probe originates from multiple Karnataka Police FIRs and charge sheets linked to a 2017 cybercrime case . The case pertains to the alleged hacking of national and international websites and theft of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoins , by Sriki and his associates.

Investigators suspect that the proceeds of the alleged cyber offences were laundered through cryptocurrency channels and may have been passed on to associates, including the MLA’s sons.

However, officials have not disclosed the exact value of the alleged scam, the number of victims, or the total number of bitcoins/cryptocoins allegedly hacked in the case at this stage. The ED is currently examining digital devices, financial records, and crypto wallet transactions to determine the full scale of the proceeds of crime.

Sources indicated that the investigation is still at a tracing and quantification stage , and the total illicit amount involved is yet to be officially confirmed.

The ED is expected to continue questioning individuals linked to the case and analysing seized materials in the coming days to establish the money trail and beneficiary links .

The case, which has its roots in cyber hacking allegations from 2017, has now expanded into a wider money laundering investigation involving cryptocurrency transactions and suspected political links.