New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Jalandhar Zonal Office has provisionally attached properties valued at approximately Rs 2.19 crore in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the illegal supply of psychotropic substances, primarily Tramadol-based tablets, an agency statement said.

The attachment, executed on Monday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, includes four immovable properties, comprising both commercial and residential plots, worth Rs 2.18 crore belonging to entities such as M/s MP Traders, M/s Soul Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Akhil Jai Singh of M/s Aster Pharma, and Ankit Kumar of M/s Kanix Pharma, it said.

Additionally, a movable asset in the form of a bank deposit worth Rs 1.2 lakh belonging to Santosh Tiwari was attached.

The probe originated from an FIR registered by the Punjab Police under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, following the recovery of Tramadol-based tablets and drug money in cash from peddlers.

The ED’s investigation uncovered a sophisticated interstate trafficking network diverting huge quantities of psychotropic tablets from pharmaceutical manufacturers and firms into the black market without proper documentation, bills, or stock registers.

Middlemen, including wholesalers and distributors like M/s Shree Shyam Medical Agency, procured bulk supplies from manufacturing companies and illegally sold them through peddlers at inflated prices.

Distributors transported the tablets using courier services, received cash payments for the proceeds of crime, and deposited excess amounts — beyond legitimate invoice values — into personal bank accounts to launder the illicit funds.

Searches conducted earlier on June 17, 2025, under PMLA provisions recovered incriminating records that established the financial trail and modus operandi.

The agency arrested Abhishek Kumar of M/s Shree Shyam Medical Agency on December 9, 2025, and he remains in judicial custody.

The investigation has exposed how the network—from manufacturers to distributors and retailers—facilitated the misuse and addiction of controlled psychotropic substances like Tramadol and Alprazolam, endangering public health and society. Similar cases have seen ED actions against pharma entities diverting these drugs, often leading to black market sales that generate substantial illicit proceeds. Further probe is underway to trace additional beneficiaries, map the full supply chain, and identify more properties derived from these criminal activities.

The attachments aim to prevent the dissipation of proceeds of crime and serve as a deterrent against the misuse of regulated pharmaceuticals in illegal trade.

–IANS

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