New Delhi: Acting swiftly on India's plea, the British government has frozen two bank accounts having deposits of three million pounds (Rs 21 crore) of Italian businessman and main accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff scam, Ottavio Quattrocchi.

According to a communique received by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Interpol, London, the crown prosecution services in the United Kingdom (UK) had obtained the requisite order, restricting the operation of the two bank accounts having nearly Rs 21 crore in them, a CBI spokesman said on July 28.

The CBI had sent a Letters Rogatory on July 22 to the Britain for freezing the accounts and also to investigate the route through which the amount was transferred to Britain.

The spokesman said the restriction order was not possible without the exemplary co-operation between the Interpol London and the concerned UK authorities.

He said it was for the first time that timely information about existence of his accounts was received and prompt action restraining him from operating it was taken.

The Letters Rogatory, which was sent through the ministry of external affairs, also requested the British authority to probe how the money was routed to the London bank accounts of Quattrocchi.

CBI was informed by Interpol London that they had traced "bank accounts in the name of Ottavio Quattrocchi in which three million pounds had been stashed."

PTI