Panaji, Sep 6 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Monday confiscated four properties owned by foreigners, including one which was promoted by a Russian national who was being 'hunted' by the Russian mafia, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji after a cabinet meeting, Kamat said that the confiscation of four properties in the coastal areas of Anjuna and Morjim, both popular beach villages, located nearly 15 to 25 km from Panaji respectively, was a part of a list of 200 properties owned by foreigners which were being probed by the ED at the request of the state government.

'These 200 properties are being probed because they were purchased in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The four confiscated properties are spread around 20,000 sq mt and also includes True Axis resorts,' Kamat said, referring to the hospitality project which was promoted by a Russian national Leonoid Beyzer, who according to his lawyer Vikram Varma was being 'hunted by the Russian mafia'.

Varma during earlier interactions with the media had said that Beyzer, who was on a business visa in India, was no longer a director with True Axis resorts private limited, after the Russian mafia attempted to murder him on two occasions because of the real estate worth of the land held by the company.

'There have been attempts to murder Beyzer both back in Russia and Goa in order to usurp his company, which held real estate worth several crore in Goa. We have informed the state home ministry about the same,' Varma has said in the past.

In the last few years, Goa has attracted Russians by the droves during the tourist season which begins in October and ends in March. Lands purchased by Russians as well as several hundred UK nationals, have come under the scanner after the ED found that nearly 200 deals were carried out in violation of FEMA norms a couple of years back.

Officials also suggested that several lands were purchased by foreign nationals who were fronts for the underworld.