The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai, has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs5.37 crore belonging to drug lord Ali Asghar Shirazi and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, related to the smuggling of drugs overseas.
7 immovable properties attached
A total of seven immovable properties, worth Rs5 crore (approx), in the form of flats, shops and land belonging to Shirazi and others, including Mehreen Shirazi, Abdul Samad, Manoj Patel, and Bhavesh Shah, were attached. Further, movable properties worth Rs 36.81 lakh were in the form of fixed deposits (FDs) and balances in the bank accounts of Ramlakhan Patel, Shobha Patel and M/s Hustlers Hospitality Private Limited.
Recently, the ED recorded the statements of actors Shiv Thakre and Abdu Rozik in the case after finding that Shirazi was involved in laundering narco funds as investments through Hustlers Hospitality, which were then allocated to several startup projects, including 'Thakre Chai and Snacks' and 'Burgir'
The ED investigation
The ED had initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered in Mumbai, under various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985, and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 against Shirazi and others.
The ED investigation revealed that the drug syndicate operated by Shirazi and others included telecommunication companies running call centers/websites, logistic companies, consultancy companies and dummy pharma companies. These companies were involved in the illegal shipping of opioids from India to foreign countries and routing the proceeds of the sale to India using various channels.
A network of logistics and consultancy companies was used to launder the proceeds of crime generated through the illegal sale of drugs. Additionally, various companies incorporated in the USA by members of this syndicate had been operating payment gateways. These payment gateways were used by the syndicate to route the proceeds of crime generated through the illegal sale of opioids in the USA to India.
Investigation also revealed that there were huge cash deposits in the accounts linked to Shirazi and related persons/entities, which are part of proceeds of crime generated through illegal selling of various drugs. Proceeds of crime ascertained so far is around Rs44.50 crore.
