The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken major action in the international drugs racket and money laundering case. ED teams have raided 26 locations in 7 states across the country. ED claims that the search operation has exposed an organized inter-state drug trafficking gang.
The Panaji regional office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted search operations at 26 premises in several states including Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha and Delhi. The investigation was conducted after the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Goa Police filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) based on an FIR registered under the Narcotic Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which involved trafficking of large quantities of drugs. ED has taken this action after several months of spying.
ED investigation has revealed that narcotics were being supplied on business-to-business (B2B) basis in many states including Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Kerala. During the search, the agency has seized huge amounts of cash, narcotics including hashish and other contraband, as well as incriminating documents and digital devices. The agency says that analysis of digital devices and documents has revealed evidence of large-scale supply of narcotics like MDMA, Ecstasy, Hashish, Kush, Mushroom, Rashol Cream, Cocaine and Super Cream, which was carried out in several states.
The investigation also revealed that courier and postal channels were being systematically used to transport narcotics. Apart from this, the money received from selling drugs was being sent through UPI, bank transfer, cryptocurrency and cash transactions. According to the agency, active involvement of several associates in money laundering of the proceeds of crime has been revealed. ED said that it is sharing the information obtained from the investigation with other law enforcement agencies so that appropriate action can be taken as per law.
