New Delhi, July 31 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched search operations at around eight premises in Mumbai as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged Mithi River scam, officials said.

The searches were conducted at locations linked to contractors who are accused of submitting false Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) concerning the dumping and disposal of silt extracted from the Mithi river, officials said.

The action stems from findings that several contractors misrepresented details and allegedly forged MoUs to claim payments for silt removal that either did not take place or was grossly exaggerated.

The alleged scam is believed to have caused significant ...