Drug money case: ED nabs one, seizes Rs 3 crore cash, docus, gadgets

Panaji: The ED, Panaji, on Sunday arrested Madhupan S S in connection with his alleged involvement in narcotic trafficking and a subsequent money laundering case. The ED arrested him following searches at 26 premises across the country, which yielded Rs 3 crore in cash, incriminating documents, and digital devices, all of which were seized.

ED said that the searches were carried out pursuant to the ECIR registered by ED on the basis of an FIR registered by the anti-narcotics cell, Goa police, under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, for trafficking of narcotic substances in commercial quantities.

“The search operations revealed the existence of a well-organised inter-state drug trafficking syndicate,” said ED.


Further, the distribution of narcotic substances on a business-to-business (B2B) basis was traced across multiple states, namely Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Kerala,” said ED.

“During the search, ED came across narcotic drugs, for which effective coordination was made with NCB and police authorities for the seizure of contraband. In one case, the accused was arrested by the Delhi Police,” said the directorate.

It also said that analysis of the seized digital devices and documents revealed large-scale supply of narcotic substances, including MDMA, ecstasy, hash, kush, mushrooms, rashol cream, cocaine, and super cream, within India and across multiple states.

The ED found systematic use of courier and postal channels for the transportation of narcotic substances, channelling of proceeds of crime through UPI, bank transfers, cryptocurrency, and cash transactions, and layering and concealment of proceeds of crime through the use of complex financial channels.

The investigation further revealed linkages with suppliers and the active involvement of multiple associates and facilitators in the narcotics supply chain and laundering of illicit proceeds, said the ED.

“Madhupan was arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA, 2002. The special court under PMLA at Goa remanded the accused in ED custody for seven days,” it said.