ED arrests prime accused Harpreet Talwar in 3000 kg Mundra port Heroin seizure case

New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a Delhi resident, Harpreet Singh Talwar, during searches carried out at six premises in the national capital on June 24 and June 25 as part of its ongoing alleged money laundering investigation linked to the seizure of nearly 3000 kg of heroin at Mundra Port on September 13, 2021.
Talwar was arrested on June 24 and produced before the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for remand. On August 2022, the National Investigation Agency had also arrested Talwar, alias Kabir Talwar, in connection with the same case.
ED said Talwar is the prime accused in the case and that he was arrested following the searches conducted by its teams at his premises as well as his employees, business associates and entities connected with him.

ED's headquarters investigation unit is probing the case involving the large-scale import of Heroin, concealed in semi-processed talc.
ED initiated an investigation based on the First Information Report registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860, against Talwar and others for the drug smuggling activities.
NIA had filed six chargesheets in the case wherein it had charged the accused for conspiring with an international drug smuggling syndicate based out of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai, operating under the mastermind Vitaysh Koser alias Raju Dubai, a wanted accused, along with Pakistani ISI agents and Afghan nationals.
It was also charged therein that Talwar, in connivance with Vitaysh Koser, had indulged narcotic smuggling activities in the guise if import of semi-processed talc.
Investigation has also revealed that Proceeds to the tune of Rs 74 Crore generated from illegal sale of narcotic drugs have been transferred via hawala to Afghanistan and used for funding terrorist activities.
ED investigation has revealed that in lieu of the services rendered by Talwar to the smuggling syndicate, he was paid in kind by the smuggling syndicate, foreign goods such as dry fruits, dates, perfumes and other goods without any payment and he was also partly remunerated in cash out of drug sale proceeds. "In this manner, Talwar had generated and received Proceeds of Crime amounting to Rs 1.65 crore."
ED investigation further revealed that Talwar controlled multiple firms registered in the name of his employees and friends as proprietors and partners. "One such entity is Magent India, which has ultimately received two consignments of semi-processed talc with heroin concealed in it from the Afghan supplier."
ED also revealed that Talwar has invested "proceeds along with his associates, in several nightclubs in Delhi, including Playboy Club, white club Delhi, RSVP Night Club, Jasba Lounge, Velvet Room, LIT Lounge."
Subsequent to his arrest in the NIA case and while the investigation in the drug case was ongoing, ED said, Talwar had transferred shares in his business entities to his associate Macheri Paramba Shamsuddeen and Suhail Ahmed, who further invested funds in other nightclubs, including Mnky Houz at Eros Hotel and Soho Club at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.
During the course of searches, ED said, it has traced incriminating material regarding the investments made by Talwar and his associates, and has also seized several documents regarding the investments.
ED has also seized four luxury vehicles, including Range Rover Sport 3.0, Toyota Fortuner, Mercedes-Benz CLE 300, KIA seltos, which have a combined value of nearly Rs 2 crore from the premises of Talwar. All of the vehicles were registered in the name of benami entities controlled by Talwar.
The search, seizure, and arrest actions by ED are part of the 'whole of the government' approach to break the drug smuggling racket and the nexus involved in drug smuggling, money laundering and hawala transactions. (ANI)