ED seizes Rs 64 crore worth assets linked to Congress MLA Satish Sail in illegal iron ore export case

Bengaluru: In a major action, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized immovable assets worth about Rs 64 crore belonging to Congress MLA Satish Sail in connection with the illegal export of iron ore from Belekeri Port.

According to the agency, the attached properties include a commercial complex named “Our Lady Mercus” in Vasco da Gama, Goa, agricultural lands measuring 16,850 sq. meters, and residential plots totaling 12,500 sq. meters in different parts of South Goa’s Mormugao taluk. The guideline value of these properties is estimated at Rs 21 crore, but their market value exceeds Rs 64 crore.

The ED’s investigation revealed that Sail’s company, M/s SMPL, had illegally exported 1.54 lakh tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri Port to China, out of about 5 lakh tonnes of ore seized by the Department of Mines and Geology. The ore was reportedly shipped through two vessels — MV Columbia and MV Mandarin.

To conceal the illegal transaction, the agency stated that another shell company was set up in China to fabricate documents showing a legitimate sale, while the ore was actually sold to a different buyer.

The ED’s action comes amid increasing scrutiny of illegal mining and export scams that shook Karnataka during the previous decade. The case adds pressure on the Congress government, as Sail remains a sitting MLA, deepening political embarrassment for the ruling party.

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