ED recovers arms, contraband during drugs-linked money laundering case raids in Punjab

The business and residential premises of Skattar Singh alias Laddi, Gajjan Singh, Makhan Singh and their family members apart from some associates were searched, the Enforcement Directorate ED said in a statement.

Arms, ammunition and suspected narcotics weighing about 16 kgs was recovered after raids were conducted in Punjab as part of a money laundering probe linked to a drug trafficking case, the Enforcement Directorate said on Saturday. The searches were conducted on Friday at 10 different premises in villages like Sheron, Naushera Pannuan and Bugha in the Tarn Taran district. The business and residential premises of Skattar Singh alias Laddi, Gajjan Singh, Makhan Singh and their family members apart from some associates were searched, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. The money laundering case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from multiple Punjab Police FIRs filed against Makhan Singh's son Hardev Singh alias Rambo and others under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and the Arms Act.

Hardev Singh, the agency said, is currently lodged in Amritsar central jail in a 2018 drugs case related to the recovery of 4 kg heroin.

Two rifles, three pistols, and some bullets were recovered during the searches, it said.

''The said arms and ammunition were reported to the local police authorities. Since original licenses were not available for some of the arms recovered from the residential premises, the same was handed over to the local police authorities,'' the ED said.

About 16 kg of suspected narcotics substance was also recovered and it was seized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials, whom the ED called for assistance during the raids.

It said ''incriminating'' evidence relating to numerous immovable properties worth crores of rupees in the names of the searched persons, members of their family, and their associates were seized during the operation.