(MENAFN- IANS) Chennai, Aug 16 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids at multiple locations linked to Tamil Nadu Minister I. Periyasamy. Teams of officials reached his residence on Greenways Road in Chennai, his MLA guest house at Thiruvallikeni, and several properties in Madurai and Dindigul on Saturday morning.

The searches are part of an investigation into suspected money laundering and illegal financial transactions.

The operation has created tension, especially near the minister's Greenways Road home, where some people initially prevented ED officials from entering the premises.

Security has been tightened in the area, and heavy deployment of police has been reported.

The raids are still in progress, with officers said to be scrutinising property and financial records.

This action is seen as part of a wider pattern of central agency interventions in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier this year, the ED probed alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 1,000-crore in TASMAC, and examined the tender processes, inflated charges on liquor bottles, and manipulation of licensing.

Raids were carried out at the residences of senior officials including the TASMAC Managing Director, as well as at several distillery operators' offices.

That case, however, escalated into a major legal dispute. The Supreme Court stayed the probe in May and came down heavily on the ED, warning that the agency was crossing constitutional limits by raiding a state-owned corporation and infringing upon the federal structure.

The agency also recently carried out searches in a case linked to S. Pandian, a former environment official accused in a corruption probe initiated by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

During those operations, large amounts of cash, gold, silver, diamonds, and property documents were seized, underscoring the scale of alleged irregularities being investigated.

With the raids on Minister Periyasamy now underway, political circles in Tamil Nadu are closely watching developments.

The ruling DMK has in the past accused central agencies of misusing their powers to target its leaders, while the Opposition has insisted that such investigations are necessary to expose corruption.

The outcome of the current searches is expected to have significant political and legal ramifications, further intensifying the friction between the state government and central enforcement agencies.

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