India, July 2 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted raids at 16 places, including the residences of architects and municipal engineers in the Vasai-Virar region, in connection with its money-laundering investigation into the construction of 41 unauthorised buildings in Vasai East.

The raids were conducted weeks after the agency seized gold and cash worth Rs.32 crore from the residence of former Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) deputy director of town planning YS Reddy on May 14. The ED was investigating where Reddy got the unaccounted assets, which eventually led to Tuesday's raids, officials said.

The ED suspects that financial transactions for granting building permissions were facilitated through arch...