New Delhi [India], November 27 : In a first-of-its-kind action near the town bordering Myanmar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at various locations across Mizoram, Assam and Gujarat.
The search operations were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at various locations across Aizawl and Champhai in Mizoram, Sribhumi (Karimganj) in Assam, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Mizoram Police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, wherein 4.724 kgs of Heroin valued at Rs 1,41,66,000 were seized from six individuals.
From the financial analysis of the arrested persons, financial linkages between Mizoram-based firms and Gujarat-based firms were established.
"Gujarat-based firms supplied Pseudoephedrine tablets (Schedule-A, B, C substances in the NDPS-RCS Order 2013) and Caffeine Anhydrous (Pre-Precursor used in manufacturing of Methamphetamine Tablets) to firms based in Mizoram, with links to drug smugglers who carry out their smuggling and hawala transactions through habitual offenders of Champhai, Mizoram. Financial linkages of the Mizoram-based firms have also been found with Kolkata-based shell entities, who had procured the said consignment of Caffeine Anhydrous," said the ED.
The agency stated, "The precursors used in the production of Methamphetamine are transported from India to Myanmar through the porous international borders, where they are manufactured, and the final products are transported from Myanmar to India majorly through the state of Mizoram."
As per the ED, huge credits of Rs 52.8 crores were noted in bank accounts of narco hawala operators, including cash deposits in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, Tripura and Delhi. "The detailed statements of narco hawala operators are going on."
During the investigation under PMLA, 2002, the agency said that the search proceedings led to the recovery of cash amounting to Rs 35,00,000 along with other evidence in digital devices, which are being examined.