NEW DELHI: As part of an international investigation into drug-related black money, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has literally hit a goldmine. The agency, which is in the process of attaching properties of a Delhi-based hawala operator who moved money for the drug syndicate, unearthed 10 kilogram of gold buried in the lawns of the Amritsar properties of two Punjab drug smugglers last week.
The agency is now exploring if the syndicate has moved money using gold bullions as well. The agency has also sought information from USA, UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia where the cartel had its network.
In September last year, ED along with drug enforcement authorities of Australia, UK and USA had unearthed a $7 million drug racket run by a string of men from Punjab based in various countries such as Thailand, Australia, USA and Hong Kong. The cartel was found to be linked to international drug network of Australian Pasquel Barbaro and Italian N’Drangheta mafia syndicate.
The Indian chapter of the operation had resulted in arrest of Gagandeep Singh Arora and Paramdeep Singh Arora from Punjab and Delhi-based hawala operator Gaurav Gupta. Australian Federal Police had arrested Gulshan Saini, Sanjeev Saini and Mandeep Singh, all from Punjab, as part of the cartel.
The Aroras and their conduits in foreign countries ran the money laundering racket through a string of export-import companies. The brothers have been involved in large-scale smuggling of heroin into India from Pakistan, sources said.
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