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MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Friday, seized properties of a film producer, Sandeep Arora, who had cheated the UK government by claiming bogus tax returns a few years ago.

It's the first time in the recent past that the ED has seized properties in India on the request of a foreign nation under the mutual legal assistance treaty.

Arora's company, Fine Tune, had claimed a tax return from the UK government under a special scheme meant to promote documentary films on social and cultural issues. He claimed the money as returns for documentaries he never made, said an officer. He further claimed more returns after producing forged documents to show he had produced the documentaries.

Arora then brought the money to India through legal channel. When the UK government learnt of the fraud, it started investigation against him. On inquiry, they learnt that Arora had shifted to India with the money.

The UK government then informed the India and requested to trace Arora and attach his properties. The ED Mumbai traced Arora and the money trail. They have recorded Arora's statement, seized a flat, bank accounts and his policies. The ED will conduct trial against Arora in a special court in Mumbai with the assistance of an investigating officer from UK.

The ED is probing the case under the principle of dual criminality, where an action is an offence in foreign countries as well as Indian law.