How narcotics money pouring into nightclubs, legitimate businesses to fund terror

NEW DELHI: Investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have exposed a complex narco-terror funding network operating across India, revealing how drug proceeds are channelled through illicit hawala routes and invested in domestic businesses to finance cross-border terrorism, according to officials.

The battle against narcotics smuggling, particularly its links to terror financing, has emerged as a major priority for the Indian government.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Narendra Modi government would leave no stone unturned to make India drug-free and that the fight against the narcotics menace would now be intensified at the district level.

Several agencies, including state police forces, the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Customs and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), are working to dismantle drug networks.

However, investigations by the ED have brought to light another dimension of the problem. Recent probes by the ED have revealed how money earned through narcotics trade is making its way in and out of the country. A shocking revelation that came out of the ED probe was that the money that has been coming in is being invested in legitimate ventures.

An official said that the kind of investments being made in India look legitimate until the trail of the funds is traced.

"The money that is generated from drug smuggling moves in multiple directions. A syndicate backed by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) has its wings in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai," the official said.

The money first reaches Dubai, after which the hawala route is used to channelise the money into Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

The money that reaches the ISI's assets in Pakistan and Afghanistan is used entirely to fund terror activities against India, the official said.

Another official said that the money that reaches India through a hawala channel is meant to be parked until further orders. Those part of the syndicate in India are instructed to park the money in legitimate businesses. Take the case of Gaurav Dawar, an accused in a heroin smuggling case. His arrest took place following major seizures in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. This case came to light following the busting of a Rs 3,000 crore heroin smuggling case in Gujarat, in which one Harpreet Singh was named as the prime accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Investigations revealed that Dawar and Harpreet were reporting to one Vitaysh Koser alias Raju Dubai. Koser, according to the probe, was working on the instructions of ISI assets based out of Pakistan and Afghanistan.  (IANS)

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