Enforcement Directorate Arrests Banit Singh Talwar in Major Drug Trafficking Case

New Delhi, October 24 (Daily Kiran) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Banit Singh Talwar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in a significant drug trafficking case. This arrest is linked to the large-scale smuggling of narcotics, which were reportedly concealed within talc. Authorities have also seized drugs across Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana.

Banit Singh Talwar was presented before a special judge at the Tis Hazari Court in New Delhi, where he was remanded to five days of ED custody. The investigation began following an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Harpreet Singh Talwar and others for drug trafficking. The NIA had previously filed six charges in this case, implicating several individuals in an international drug trafficking syndicate operating from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Dubai.

The mastermind of this syndicate, identified as Vitesh Kosar, also known as Raju Dubai, remains at large. The investigation has revealed that the operation includes agents from the Pakistani ISI and Afghan nationals. Authorities discovered that approximately ₹76 crores, earned from illegal drug sales, was funneled through hawala channels to Afghanistan, allegedly to fund terrorist activities.

So far, the ED’s financial probe has uncovered ₹89 crores in “proceeds of crime,” derived from drug trafficking and hawala transactions. The investigation continues to ascertain the full extent of illicit earnings.

Banit Singh Talwar is the brother of Harpreet Singh Talwar, who orchestrated drug trafficking within India alongside Raju Dubai. Following Harpreet Singh’s arrest, Banit continued to manage enterprises previously under his brother’s control. He allegedly funneled over ₹55 lakhs into a company named Magent India, which was linked to Harpreet Singh and involved in drug smuggling. Financial analyses indicate that money was systematically cycled through various transactions before reaching Banit Singh.

Additionally, Banit Singh utilized cash deposits to purchase vehicles under the names of “benami” companies, which the ED has already confiscated. He also invested funds received from Harpreet Singh into real estate, with benefits still accruing to Harpreet Singh and his family.

This arrest is part of a broader government strategy to dismantle drug trafficking networks, money laundering operations, and hawala transactions. The ED remains committed to safeguarding national security and the integrity of India’s economic system. The investigation is ongoing.