The crime branch that is probing the Rs5,600-crore payment default case against National Spot Exchange (NSEL), has found half its warehouses are empty, confirming suspicion that the company was not stocking goods from the money it got from investors.

An official of economic offences wing of the crime branch said that of 58 warehouses located by its teams, 30 were found empty.

The crime branch believed initially that there were 62 warehouses. “Addresses of four were found bogus while 30 of the other 58 did not stock any goods,” said the official, who is part of the probe. “The empty warehouses substantiate the charge that the company wasn’t stocking goods of equal value from money from investors.”

The crime branch registered an FIR against NSEL on Monday and followed that with raids at the company’s premises in the country. The official said summons have been issued to 74 persons in connection with the case. “We have also freezed 50 personal accounts of people associated with NSEL. These accounts had about Rs80 crore. We have also freezed investors accounts,” the official said.