The CBI is conducting a major countrywide operation against Union Home Ministry officials, NGO representatives and middlemen for allegedly facilitating violations of rules in receiving foreign donations, officials said Tuesday.

The coordinated operation over the alleged breaches of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act is going on at around 40 locations including in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mysore and some places in Rajasthan, they said.

It has been detected during the operation that several public officials from the MHA, NGO representatives and middleman exchanged money to facilitate the foreign donations in violation of FCRA, 2010, they said.

Illegal transactions of around ₹ 2 crore routed through hawala channels have been found, said the agency after searches in Delhi, Rajasthan, Chennai, Mysore, among others.

So far, the agency has apprehended around six persons including MHA officials and NGO representatives in connection with the case, they said.

The operation has till now led to a disclosure of hawala transactions worth Rs 2 crore, they said.