Lucknow: Two arrested for shipment of banned medicines to US
Fake pharmacy registration racket busted
New Delhi: Two individuals has been arrested by Enforcement Directorate in Lucknow in connection with a money laundering investigation tied to a drugs trafficking operation. The case involves the shipment of banned medicines to the United States.
The accussed were taken into custody on Monday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal probe agency said in a statement.
A special PMLA court in Lucknow has granted a two-day custody for both accused, Hindustan Times reported.
The money laundering case stems from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation against a company named Hatsh Telecommunication Pvt. Ltd. and some others for “trafficking” psychotropic substances from India to the US, PTI reported.
The probe started following complaints and chargesheets filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Lucknow Unit, under various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985
The accused were “involved” in supplying “banned” drugs to US citizens. It was found that these persons incorporated six companies during 2012-17 and operated a call centre from the office of the said companies located in Lucknow, the ED said.
They used to obtain raw data of US citizens from a portal and identify potential customers for supplying restricted/psychotropic medicines. They then called the persons in the US through Skype, secured orders and advance payment and later shipped the restricted medicines through India Post, according to the agency.
The accused got Rs 23.67 crore between 2012 and 2017 in the accounts of various companies, including Hatsh Telecommunication, it said.
As part of the probe, assets worth Rs 3.22 crore, including movable and immovable properties, were attached on October 20, 2023. The adjudicating authority confirmed the attachment on March 20, 2024. Further investigation is in process.
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