Mundra port heroin case: ED alleges drug proceeds invested in Delhi nightclubs

The Enforcement Directorate alleges Delhi-based businessman Harpreet Singh Talwar invested drug proceeds in several Delhi nightclubs. The PMLA case follows an NIA complaint after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 2,988.21 kg of Afghan-origin heroin at Mundra port in September 2021, allegedly routed via Iran and masked as talc stone imports.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Thursday that drug money from the 2021 Mundra port heroin case was invested in several night clubs in Delhi. The agency alleged a Delhi-based businessman, Harpreet Singh Talwar, helped route part of the proceeds into such businesses. The ED said Talwar handled Rs 1.65 crore worth of suspected crime proceeds.

The ED arrested Talwar on Wednesday after searches at Talwar’s premises and other locations in the national capital. The investigation is registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED action follows an earlier case linked to a major drugs seizure at Mundra port in Gujarat.

Mundra port drugs haul and PMLA case

The money laundering case stems from a National Investigation Agency (NIA) complaint. The complaint followed a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seizure of 2,988.21 kg heroin at Mundra port. The seizure took place in September 2021 at Kutch district in Gujarat. The heroin was described as Afghan-origin.

Officials said the consignment was worth about Rs 21,000 crore in the illegal international market. The shipment reached India through Iran, the agencies alleged. It was shown as legal imports of semi-processed talc stones. The material was described as a raw input with many uses.

ED alleges night clubs investment and payments

Talwar is a former promoter of some nightclubs in Delhi. The NIA arrested Talwar in August 2022, and Talwar received bail in April. The NIA alleged Talwar worked with a foreign-based operative, Vitaysh Koser alias Raju Dubai. The alleged trafficking used semi-processed talc imports as cover.

The ED said Talwar received benefits for services to the smuggling group. The ED claimed Talwar was paid in kind, including dry fruits from abroad, perfumes, and other goods. The agency said these items came without any payment. It also alleged Talwar received part payment in cash from drug sales.

The ED alleged Talwar and associates invested the funds in multiple Delhi night clubs. The agency also said Talwar transferred shares in business entities to an associate. The associate was named Macheri Paramba Shamsuddeen alias Suhail Ahmed. The ED claimed Suhail Ahmed invested the funds into other Delhi night clubs.

During the searches, the ED said it seized four vehicles. The search operations ended on Thursday, the agency added. The allegations remain part of the ongoing PMLA probe linked to the Mundra port heroin seizure. Talwar’s arrest is the latest action in the wider investigation.

With inputs from PTI