New Delhi/Aizawl, Nov 27 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out search operations under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at various locations in Mizoram, Assam, and Gujarat, the central probe agency sources said.

The sleuths of the ED, Aizawl (Mizoram) Sub Zonal office, carried out search operations under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, at various locations across Aizawl and Champhai in Mizoram, Sribhumi district (formerly Karimganj) in southern Assam, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

The ED sources said that during the investigation under PMLA, 2002 and search proceedings, a cash amounting to Rs 35 lakh has been found along with other evidence in digital devices, which are being examined.

The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Mizoram Police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), Act, 1985, wherein 4.724 kgs of heroin valued at over Rs 1.41 crore were seized from six arrested individuals.

From the financial analysis of the arrested persons, financial linkages between Mizoram-based firms and Gujarat-based firms were established.

Gujarat-based firms supplied Pseudoephedrine tablets (Schedule-A, B, C substances in the NDPS-RCS Order 2013) and Caffeine Anhydrous (used in the manufacturing of Methamphetamine Tablets) to firms based in Mizoram, with links to drug smugglers who carry out their smuggling and hawala transactions through habitual offenders of Mizoram’s Champhai, a hotspot of the drug smuggling along Myanmar.

Financial linkages of Mizoram-based firms have also been found with Kolkata-based shell entities, which had procured the said consignment of Caffeine Anhydrous.

The precursors used in the production of Methamphetamine are transported from India to Myanmar through the porous international borders, where they are manufactured, and the final products are transported from Myanmar to India mainly through the state of Mizoram.

Huge credits of Rs 52.8 crore were noted in bank accounts of Narco hawala operators, including cash deposits in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, West Bengal, Tripura and Delhi.

The detailed statements of narco hawala operators are being recorded.

Further investigation is underway.

Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively, while Manipur shares 398 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Both the Northeastern states have inter-state borders with Assam, Nagaland and Tripura.

Myanmar’s Chin state is a hub for the smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts – Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip and five Manipur districts – Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Kamjong and Ukhrul.

–IANS

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