The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted simultaneous searches across six Indian states in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a drug trafficking syndicate initially uncovered by the Punjab Police, official sources confirmed.
The searches were carried out at over 15 locations spanning Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The investigation is being pursued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to the Hindu, the ED action is based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered in 2024 by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police. The FIR had invoked various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against two alleged drug traffickers and an intermediary identified as Alex Paliwal.
As part of the enforcement operation, the ED searched premises associated with pharmaceutical firms including Biogenetic Drugs Pvt Ltd, CB Healthcare, Smilax Pharmachem Drug Industries, Soul Health Care (India) Pvt Ltd, and Aster Pharma. Residences and business locations of individuals linked to the case were also covered.
The Punjab Police had earlier arrested seven individuals and seized a significant quantity of pharmaceutical drugs suspected to be used in the illicit manufacture of narcotics.
