ED Files Supplementary Prosecution Against Five in Goa Drug Trafficking Case
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against five individuals in a major drug trafficking case in Goa.
Panaji, September 19 (Daily Kiran) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action in a drug trafficking case in Goa, filing a supplementary prosecution complaint against five individuals linked to a money laundering scheme involving organized interstate and cross-border drug trafficking. This complaint was submitted on September 18 to the Principal District and Sessions Judge in North Goa.
The accused, identified as Nihal Vadakkancheri Nazar, Prasodh PK, Elfin Thomas, Dheeraj Matthews, and Nishant Pratap, are charged under sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. These sections pertain to offenses related to money laundering as defined in section 3 of the Act, which outlines penalties in section 4.
This supplementary complaint follows an initial prosecution complaint filed on March 16, 2026, which pertains to events dating back to February 13, 2025. The initial complaint involved seven individuals and revealed that approximately ₹3.96 crore was earned through the organized trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances.
According to the ED, further investigations led to the identification of the five additional accused, who are now numbered as 8 through 12 in the case. They are alleged to have engaged in various activities related to the proceeds of crime, including generating, acquiring, layering, concealing, and converting these proceeds, which involved cross-border transactions in cryptocurrency.
The investigation by the ED’s Panaji zonal office was initiated based on an FIR filed by the Anti-Narcotic Cell of the North Goa police on October 15, 2024, against Madhupan Suresh Shashikala under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The probe revealed that Madhupan had allegedly generated around ₹3.96 crore through drug trafficking since 2016.
A portion of this illicit income was funneled through banking channels to Dubai, where it was converted into cryptocurrency (USDG) and later used to purchase drugs via the dark web.
The supplementary prosecution complaint also accounted for the proceeds of crime associated with the newly implicated individuals. The ED identified ₹9,39,250 linked to an unnamed individual and ₹17.48 lakh associated with Uttam Chand. Consequently, on September 16, the ED temporarily seized these assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED reiterated its commitment to dismantling the financial framework of drug trafficking networks as part of the broader national initiative to create a drug-free India. The agency remains steadfast in its mission to trace, identify, and seize all properties generated from illegal drug trade and money laundering, with further investigations ongoing.
