New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Delhi resident Harpreet Singh Talwar after conducting searches at six locations across the national capital on June 24 and 25 as part of its money laundering investigation linked to the seizure of nearly 3,000 kg of heroin at Mundra Port in Gujarat in September 2021.

Talwar was taken into custody on June 24 and produced before a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court for remand. He had earlier been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in August 2022 in connection with the same case.

According to the ED, Talwar is the prime accused in the case. The searches were carried out at his premises as well as those of his employees, business associates and companies allegedly linked to him.

The agency’s Headquarters Investigation Unit is probing the alleged large-scale import of heroin concealed in consignments of semi-processed talc. The ED launched its investigation based on an FIR registered by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the Indian Penal Code against Talwar and others.

The NIA has filed six chargesheets, alleging that the accused conspired with an international drug trafficking syndicate operating from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai. The syndicate was allegedly headed by wanted accused Vitaysh Koser, alias Raju Dubai, and involved Pakistani ISI operatives and Afghan nationals.

Investigators allege that Talwar, in collaboration with Koser, imported heroin disguised as semi-processed talc. The probe further found that around ₹74 crore generated from the illegal sale of narcotics was routed to Afghanistan through hawala channels and allegedly used to finance terrorist activities.

The ED said Talwar was compensated by the smuggling syndicate not only in cash but also through imported goods such as dry fruits, dates, perfumes and other products supplied without payment. The agency claims he generated proceeds of crime worth around ₹1.65 crore.

The investigation also revealed that Talwar allegedly controlled several firms registered in the names of his employees and associates. One such company, Magent India, is said to have received two consignments of semi-processed talc from an Afghan supplier that allegedly contained concealed heroin.

The ED further alleged that Talwar invested the proceeds of crime, along with his associates, in several nightclubs in Delhi, including Playboy Club, White Club Delhi, RSVP Night Club, Jasba Lounge, Velvet Room and LIT Lounge.

After his arrest in the NIA case, Talwar allegedly transferred shares in his business entities to associates Macheri Paramba Shamsuddeen and Suhail Ahmed, who later invested in other nightclubs, including Mnky Houz at Eros Hotel and Soho Club at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.

During the recent searches, the ED said it recovered incriminating documents related to these investments and seized four luxury vehicles, a Range Rover Sport 3.0, Toyota Fortuner, Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 and Kia Seltos, worth nearly ₹2 crore. According to the agency, all the vehicles were registered in the names of benami entities controlled by Talwar.

The ED said the searches, seizures and arrest are part of the government’s coordinated effort to dismantle the network involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and hawala operations. DeshGujarat