Drug cartel's hawala cash trail ends in washing machine in Goa

HYDERABAD: In a large breakthrough, Telangana Anti Narcotics Bureau's (TGANB) probe to hint the inter-state hawala currency way of planetary cause cartels ended successful a washing instrumentality successful a Goa flat, from which it seized Rs 50 lakh a fewer days ago.TGANB manager Sandeep Shandilya, said the money, collected implicit conscionable 2 days, was moments distant from being laundered to Nigeria. "Had we delayed the raid by an hour, the full magnitude would person been transferred. It was neatly stashed wrong the washing machine, acceptable for dispatch," helium said.Following a month-long surveillance cognition successful Goa, TGANB --- assisted by Goa constabulary --- zeroed successful connected hawala transactions being conducted from Sangeetha Mobile Shop successful Mapusa and an flat successful Goa's Highland Park. 'Accused laundered implicit 2 crore of cause proceeds' The cardinal accused, Uttam Singh, who runs the mobile shop, was arrested. Investigators revealed helium had laundered Rs 2.1 crore of cause proceeds successful conscionable 1 week."Drug wealth collected successful currency was handed implicit to Uttam, often by overseas nationals. He past moved the funds to Mumbai done informal channels, and from there, it was transferred to Nigeria," Shandilya explained. The probe into the hawala way started aft Nigerian nationalist Emmanuel Bediako, alias Maxwell, revealed it to TGANB.

Between May 26 and June 1, officials tracked 58 hawala transactions involving Rs 2.1 crore. A fewer days aft establishing this link, a raid connected Highland Park flat led to the betterment of Rs 50 lakh successful cash. Over the past month, 4 Nigerian nationals person been arrested during TGANB operations successful Goa. Authorities judge Uttam is 1 of respective hawala operators facilitating cross-border cause wealth transfers. Police officials fishy a wider web of hawala operators is active, moving hand-in-glove with planetary narcotics cartels.