The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a sprawling network of alleged financial fraud and immigration violations involving a Maharashtra-based trust already under the scanner of the Union Home Ministry. The federal agency, in a statement on Wednesday, accused the Nandurbar-based Jamia Islamia Ishaatul Uloom (JIIU) Trust of facilitating a Yemeni couple’s illegal overstay in India and fraudulently procuring Indian identity documents for them, while simultaneously channeling over ₹406 crore in foreign donations for unauthorized purposes.
The revelations followed multiple searches conducted by the ED on 1 December 2025 across Nandurbar, Mumbai, and Barmer (Rajasthan), after it registered a money laundering case against the Trust and several individuals. The case originates from a February First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Nandurbar police at Akkalkuwa Police Station.
A Web of Immigration Fraud and Identity Forgery
At the heart of the probe is the alleged role of the Trust’s trustees in aiding Yemeni nationals Al-Khadami Khaled Ibrahim Saleh and his wife Khadega Ibrahim Kasim Al-Nasheri. The ED stated that after the expiry of their visas, the couple was not only provided shelter but was also actively assisted in the “fraudulent procurement of Aadhaar, PAN, birth certificates and opening of bank accounts.”
Furthermore, the Trust allegedly appointed Al-Khadami as a madrasa teacher, a move the ED claims was a ruse to “falsely portray foreign staffing to donors, in order to attract higher overseas funding.”
The FCRA Web: ₹406 Crore Under Scrutiny
The investigation has shed light on the Trust’s massive financial operations, which are now under the lens for suspected Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) violations. The ED’s preliminary findings indicate that between 2014-15 and 2023-24, the JIIU Trust received a staggering ₹406 crore in foreign donations from countries including Kuwait, Botswana, the UK, Mauritius, Switzerland, Seychelles, and Panama.
A significant portion of these funds was allegedly received and used in cash. The agency asserted that early evidence points to the “diversion of donation funds for non-approved uses, in violation of statutory norms.” The Trust is also accused of misusing the classification of ‘national research incentives for organisational self-funding’ to receive donations from other bodies and NGOs, thereby obscuring the trail of foreign contributions.
This is not the first regulatory action against the Trust. In July 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had cancelled the JIIU Trust’s FCRA registration, finding it “involved” in channeling foreign funds to other non-FCRA registered NGOs, a clear violation of the law.
The Accused and the Seizures
The police chargesheet filed in April named several accused, including the late founder of JIIU, Ghulam Mohammad Randhera Vastanvi, the Yemeni couple, and others. During the recent raids, the ED seized ₹9 lakh in cash and a trove of digital devices expected to contain further evidence of the alleged money laundering and document fraud.
The case highlights serious concerns about the misuse of charitable trusts for illegal immigration and large-scale financial malfeasance. The ED’s probe is now focusing on tracing the ultimate beneficiaries and the full extent of the fund diversion, marking a significant escalation in the crackdown on FCRA violations and associated crimes.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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