New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) The ED arrested a narcotics smuggler connected with the large-scale import of drugs (heroin), concealed in semi-processed talc, and the seizure of contraband across Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana, an official said on Tuesday.

Gaurav Dawar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Headquarters Office New Delhi, on September 17 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for generating proceeds of crime of nearly Rs 89 crore, the ED official said in a statement.

The ED investigation revealed that the tainted proceeds derived from narcotics trafficking and contraband smuggling were systematically layered and integrated into commercial hospitality ventures, nightclubs and luxury assets.

Dawar made cash investments in the Delhi-based nightclubs, namely “Play by club” and “White Club” operated through the entity Newera Feast and Hospitality Pvt Ltd (NFHPL) along with co-accused, the ED said.

Following his arrest, Dawar was produced before Special Judge (PMLA), Tis Hazari Courts (West District), New Delhi, on September 18, and the court sent him to ED custody for five days.

The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the provisions of UAPA, 1967, NDPS Act, 1985 and IPC, 1860 against Harpreet Singh Talwar and others for the drug smuggling activities.

Earlier, the NIA had filed six charge sheets in the case against multiple 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, said the statement.

The 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.

The ED investigation revealed generation of Proceeds of Crime (PoC) totalling Rs 89 crore through contraband smuggling, distribution of drug proceeds and Hawala operation, including the aforesaid hawala of the Rs 74 crore initially identified by the NIA, said the statement.

The ED said further investigation is in progress to identify additional Proceeds of Crime generated in this process.

In this case, multiple rounds of searches under PMLA, 2002 have been conducted, with the latest round of searches being conducted between July 15 and July 17, 2026.

The investigation further revealed that Gaurav Dawar, along with co-accused Harpreet Singh Talwar, received remuneration in kind and hawala for facilitating smuggling of narcotics consignments sent by the international drug syndicate, the ED said.

The remuneration in kind received by the conspirators includes prohibited items like “Gudangaram Cigarettes”, “Beetel nut” consignments, including dry dates, perfumes, etc from the mastermind Raju Dubai.

In addition to this, it has been revealed that Gaurav Dawar received cash in AED (UAE currency) directly from Raju Dubai multiple times when he visited Dubai to facilitate the smuggling.

The above arrest action by ED is 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, said the statement, adding that the federal agency is committed to upholding national security and the integrity of India’s economic fabric.

–IANS

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