The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Itanagar Sub-Zonal Office, has provisionally attached two immovable properties belonging to Nyakpo Yangfo—valued at ₹2.69 crore and comprising two plots of land and two fish ponds—under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. This action relates to alleged irregularities in the assessment and disbursement of land acquisition compensation for the Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway Project (Packages IV and V) in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 2.69 crore in the Lada-Sarli Border Highway Project case.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Itanagar Sub-zonal Office has provisionally attached two immovable properties of Nyakpo Yangpho worth Rs 2.69 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in connection with alleged irregularities in the assessment and disbursement of land acquisition compensation under the Lada-Sarli Border Highway Project (Package-IV & V) in Arunachal Pradesh. The attached properties include 7,950 sq. metres of land valued at Rs 1.59 crore at Taraso village, Balijan circle, Papum Pare district, Arunachal Pradesh, and 3,440 sq. metres of land including two fish ponds valued at Rs 1.10 crore at Chesa village.
The Enforcement Directorate initiated the investigation based on an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, against various government officials and private beneficiaries. The FIR alleged widespread irregularities and embezzlement of public funds in the assessment, approval, and disbursement of land acquisition compensation under Packages IV and V of the Lada-Sarli Border Highway Project.
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation revealed that Nyakpo Yangpho was one of the beneficiaries of land compensation under the Lada-Sarli Border Highway Project, receiving a total of ₹33.6 million in compensation under Package IV and Package V of the project. Based on the findings of the fact-finding committee/re-verification process and beneficiary-wise comparative statements, an amount of approximately ₹32.5 million was identified as excess/improper compensation for bamboo, other common trees, and the SPT building, which were found to be non-existent during physical verification.
The investigation further revealed that immediately after receiving compensation of ₹1.89 crore (US$ 18.9 million) on 05.06.2025, Nyakpo Yangpho transferred ₹1.59 crore (US$ 15.9 million) for the purchase of 7,950 square meters of land in Taraso village on 06.06.2025. Similarly, after receiving additional compensation of ₹1.46 crore (US$ 14.6 million) on 22.07.2025, he transferred ₹1.10 crore (US$ 11.0 million) for the purchase of 3,440 square meters of land, including two fishponds, in Chesa village on 23.07.2025. Thus, the investigation established a direct and clearly identifiable flow of funds between the proceeds of crime and the acquisition of the aforementioned immovable properties.
Accordingly, the above immovable properties, having a total value of Rs 2.69 crore and acquired directly from the proceeds of crime, have been provisionally attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Further investigation is underway regarding other beneficiaries of the scam who received excess/undue compensation for the project.
