The Enforcement Directorate has created a new record in India’s anti-money laundering enforcement history by successfully auctioning a private aircraft seized during a money laundering investigation, marking the first time an aircraft has been sold under such proceedings. The private jet, a Hawker 800A, was auctioned through the central government’s e-commerce platform MSTC on July 1 and was sold for Rs. 3 crore. The aircraft was seized as part of an ongoing investigation into Amardeep Kumar, Capital Protection Force Private Limited, and other associated entities. Officials from ED’s Hyderabad zonal office had seized the aircraft following searches conducted at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad on March 7 of last year.
This auction represents the first instance of ED selling a seized aircraft through a transparent, open digital process, with the entire sale conducted via MSTC, the official government body responsible for auctioning state and confiscated properties. Officials explained that seized assets tend to lose value when left unused during prolonged litigation, and converting them into monetary form helps preserve their worth. They noted that such measures are taken specifically to prevent seized properties from going to waste while court proceedings continue over extended periods.
ED has previously auctioned land, houses, luxury vehicles, and factory machinery belonging to accused individuals in various cases, but the sale of an entire aircraft marks a significant new development. The core money laundering case against Amardeep Kumar and Capital Protection Force remains under trial in court.
With the success of this auction, officials believe they now have an effective model for rapidly liquidating high-value assets seized from financial offenders in future cases. The transaction has demonstrated that selling seized properties through government digital platforms ensures complete transparency while also securing fair market value for the assets involved.