Telangana anti-drugs agency finds cartel's hawala cash in washing machine in Goa
The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) uncovered a major hawala operation linked to an international drug cartel, seizing nearly ₹50 lakh in cash hidden inside a washing machine in a Goa apartment. The money was reportedly moments away from being transferred to Nigeria.
TGANB director Sandeep Shandilya said the cash, collected over just two days, was recovered during a raid conducted after a month-long surveillance operation in coordination with the Goa police.
'Had we delayed the raid by an hour, the entire amount would have been transferred. It was neatly stashed inside the washing machine, ready for dispatch,' ToI quoted Shandilya as saying.
According to the report, the raid was carried out at an apartment in Highland Park and at Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa. The main accused, Uttam Singh, who ran the mobile shop, was arrested.
The probe agency said that Singh laundered ₹2.1 crore of drug money within a week. His modus operandi involved receiving cash from foreign nationals, routing it through informal channels to Mumbai, and then facilitating its transfer to Nigeria.
The ₹49.65 lakh seized during the raid is believed to be part of a larger money laundering network and a TGANB team is being sent to Delhi for further investigation.
The hawala network came to light after the arrest of Nigerian national Emmanuel Bediako alias Maxwell, from Hyderabad earlier this week, reported news agency PTI.
The 34-year-old was found in possession of 150 grams of cocaine and ecstasy pills worth ₹1.25 crore.
According to a TGANB statement cited by news agency PTI, Bediako had made three visits to India since 2013, operating primarily out of Goa and selling various drugs including high-purity "celebrity cocaine," regular cocaine, and MDMA.
TGANB officials believe the drugs were sourced from abroad and the profits routed to Nigeria via a sophisticated laundering network involving Indian hawala operators and the Nigerian drug cartel.
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