ED ne Maharashtra aur Gujarat mein 20 locations par raids kiye, Dawood Ibrahim ke aide ke money-laundering aur drug network ke connection mein

Enforcement Directorate (ED) ne Tuesday ko Maharashtra aur Gujarat mein lagbhag 20 locations par coordinated searches kiye, jo ki Mohammad Salim Dola ke saath judi fresh money-laundering investigation se judi hui hai, jo ki fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim ka ek karibi saathi hai. Ye raids Mumbai, Surat, Ankleshwar (Bharuch district, Gujarat) aur Rajkot (Gujarat) mein kiye gaye, jo ki recent extradition ke baad hua, jab Dola ko Türkiye se extradite kiya gaya tha aur uske turant baad Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) ne Delhi ke Indira Gandhi International Airport par arrest kiya tha, officials ke mutabik. Central agency ne Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) ke tahat case register kiya hai, jabki multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) Mumbai mein file kiye gaye the, jo ki Dola aur dusron ke saath illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs aur psychotropic substances ke connection mein the. ED officials ne bataya ki searches ne precursor chemicals ke suppliers, chemical trading mein intermediaries, synthetic drug Mephedrone (jise ki commonly MD kehte hain) ke clandestine manufacture aur distribution mein involved traffickers, hawala operators, aur benami (proxy) properties hold karne wale individuals ko target kiya, jo ki organised drug syndicate ke proceeds se allegedly acquire kiye gaye the. Ab tak ki investigations se pata chala hai ki yeh ek "highly organised transnational criminal network" hai. Is network ka span precursor chemicals ki procurement, Mephedrone ki clandestine production, interstate transport aur distribution of narcotics, international trafficking, hawala channels ke through crime proceeds ka layering, aur movable aur immovable assets ki acquisition India aur abroad mein, aksar associates ya dusre persons ke naam par, hai. ED ki searches ne poore chain ko cover kiya, jisme suspected chemical factories, financial facilitators, accountants, chartered accountants, hawala operators, aur benami property transactions mein involved individuals shaamil hain. Dola, jise ki Salim Ismail Dola ke naam se bhi jaana jaata hai, 59 saal ka hai aur official records mein usko notorious drug trafficker ke roop mein describe kiya gaya hai, jo ki Dawood Ibrahim ke saath lambe samay se juda hua hai. Usko April mein Türkiye se India laaya gaya tha aur NCB ne Delhi airport par hi arrest kiya tha. Current PMLA investigation multiple FIRs par aadharit hai, jo ki Mumbai mein lodge kiye gaye hain, jo ki Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act aur related laws ke tahat offences ko allege karte hain. ED sources ke mutabik, searches ko documentary aur digital evidence related to precursor chemicals ki procurement, manufacturing records, financial trails, hawala transaction details, aur property documents ko unearth karne ke liye design kiya gaya tha. Agency ne yeh bhi indicate kiya hai ki yeh shell entities aur benami holdings ka use karke illicit funds ki origin aur movement ko obscure karne ki probing kar rahi hai. Yeh operation South Asia aur Middle East mein transnational drug syndicates par heightened scrutiny ke beech mein aaya hai, jahan Indian agencies ne financial infrastructure ko dismantle karne par focus kiya hai jo aise networks ko sustain karti hai. ED ki actions central government ki commitment ko underscore karti hain ki wo organised crime ke supply aur financial dimensions, khaaskar jo alleged international linkages ke saath hain, ko target karegi. Aage ki investigations ke expected hain ki wo aane wale weeks mein continue hogi, jisme ED key operatives se sawal kar sakti hai, seized documents ka examination kar sakti hai, aur leads ko pursue kar sakti hai jo network ko dusre jurisdictions ya higher-level financiers se connect kar sakte hain.