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New Indian Express
17 hours ago
- New Indian Express
NCB freezes Rs 9.20 crore immovable assets of prime accused linked to Mexican drug cartel
NEW DELHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has attached a flat and a factory premises worth Rs 9.20 crore in Uttar Pradesh's Noida of a 'prime' accused involved in a 2024 trans-national drugs trafficking case linked to a Mexican cartel, officials said on Sunday. The officials said that the federal anti-narcotics agency has recently secured a confirmation on the attachment from the designated competent authority and administrator constituted under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. According to them, the case pertains to the seizure of over 95 kg of Amphetamine and the unearthing of a clandestine narcotics manufacturing laboratory in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh in October last year. Five people, including a Tihar Jail warden, a Mexican national part of a drug cartel operating from that country, a Mumbai-based chemist and two Delhi-based businessmen, were arrested by the NCB team then. The agency, as part of the probe, attached immovable assets of one of the accused businessmen, also a 'prime accused' in the case, worth Rs 9.20 crore. 'These included a luxury apartment in Jaypee Greens residential society and a factory premises in Kasna Industrial Area of Gautam Budh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh), which were acquired using proceeds from international narcotics trafficking,' a senior NCB official said. The NCB and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police had jointly busted the factory, as the syndicate, including the five arrested people, was involved in 'transnational smuggling' of synthetic drugs. All the arrested are presently lodged in jail under judicial custody, the officials said. The factory was 'financed' by the CJNG - Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación - a notorious Mexican cartel, which transferred money to Dubai using cryptocurrency, the official claimed, adding: 'The amount was then received in Delhi in cash by the accused through hawala, facilitated in three separate instalments'.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CG sharpens its strategy to combat cattle smuggling
Raipur: In a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief minister and Home minister Vijay Sharma at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan on Thursday, the Chhattisgarh govt sharpened its strategy to combat the growing menace of cattle smuggling, calling for swift, coordinated, and more aggressive enforcement. The meeting saw the participation of senior state officials, police representatives, and district-level nodal officers. Addressing the media after the meeting, Home minister Sharma emphasized that cattle smuggling is not merely a crime, but an organized criminal activity that must be tackled using the full force of the law. He underlined the urgency of effective implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued on July 15, 2024, and demanded measurable progress from the officials present. Seizure and Auction of Vehicles to Be Fast-Tracked Minister Sharma issued clear directives to accelerate the seizure of vehicles used in cattle smuggling and ensure a transparent auction process. He questioned district officials about the number of vehicles confiscated, cases where no action was taken, and whether due process was followed at the collector level. Sharma also made it clear that in the next review meeting, every district must submit detailed reports on cases filed, seizures made, auctions conducted, and actions taken under strict laws like SAFEMA and NSA (National Security Act). Sharma proposed involving youth associated with cow welfare groups and the NCC (National Cadet Corps) in vigilance efforts. He suggested issuing official passes to facilitate better communication between these volunteers and law enforcement. He instructed that a list be prepared of genuinely dedicated cow protectors and volunteers to recognize their contributions and boost their morale. Tech-Driven Vigilance and Closing Gaps in Enforcement Sharma emphasized the need for smarter surveillance, especially given that traffickers often bypass highway checkpoints by moving cattle via footpaths or alternative rural routes. "We need to understand the entire supply chain," he said, stressing the need to build a tech-enabled alert system based on inputs received via WhatsApp groups and personal networks from local cow protectors. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Manoj Pingua and others. The Chhattisgarh govt, through these measures, is positioning itself to not only curb cattle smuggling but also to transform the enforcement ecosystem — using both strict policing and community participation. As Sharma put it, "Only a tough and well-organized approach can stop this crime."
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh Police's plan to shift drug peddlers to Assam jail put on hold
In a temporary setback to a crackdown on narcotics, Chandigarh Police's plan to relocate two habitual drug offenders to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act has been halted due to a reported shortage of space at the facility. The move involved relocating 64-year-old Bala from Sector 38-A, and Deepak Mittal, alias Vicky. Both have a long history of being involved in drug trafficking. The police had secured necessary approvals from the Union ministry of finance's SAFEMA (Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act) division to detain the duo under the PITNDPS Act. However, officials confirmed on Thursday that Dibrugarh Central Jail, the designated facility for high-risk detainees in such cases, had communicated its current inability to accommodate the two prisoners due to a lack of capacity. 'The transfer has been put on hold for now due to administrative reasons at the Assam end. We are exploring alternatives in coordination with central authorities,' a senior police officer said. Chandigarh Police had strategically chosen Dibrugarh Central Jail to sever the accused's links with their local drug networks and curb the repeated cycles of drug supply and bail. Bala and Deepak are among the most active and persistent peddlers in the city, despite multiple arrests and convictions, police said. Until further arrangements are made, both will remain lodged in Burail jail, Chandigarh.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Centre asked to compensate owners for unlawful occupation of property
New Delhi: Delhi High Court has emphasised that it is the state's responsibility to protect the civil rights of citizens, including property, as a constitutional authority and repository of public the central govt to pay the owners of a private property costs of over Rs 1.7 crore with interest, the court held that their premises were illegally occupied for two decades by the authorities after being seized under a stringent law during the Emergency Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav observed that the right to property, though no longer a fundamental right, continued to occupy a sacrosanct position within the democratic framework as a constitutional and legal right under Article 300A (persons not to be deprived of property except by authority of law) of the Constitution."The state, being a constitutional authority and repository of public trust, is duty-bound to protect, rather than transgress, the civil rights of its citizens, including the right to property. The powers of the state are not plenary or absolute but are circumscribed by constitutional and statutory limitations," it noted in an order passed last week."In a constitutional democracy governed by the principles of justice, equity and good conscience, the preservation of legal rights, such as that of proprietary rights, must remain an unyielding commitment of the state," HC said, adding that any executive or legislative action which seeks to divest a citizen of property without due process, in the absence of an enabling law, would be held court's observations came in a suit filed by the owner of a flat in Ansal Bhawan at Kasturba Gandhi Marg in the national capital, occupied under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 (SAFEMA), based on a revoked detention order. The suit by the owners of the property alleged "systematic violation" of their proprietary rights, which began with the period of proclamation of Emergency in response, the Directorate of Estates under the ministry of housing and urban affairs claimed that the property was leased out to them and later forfeited to the central govt by a 1998 order. Upon forfeiture, the suit property vested absolutely in the central govt free from all encumbrances, it maintained, pointing out that the forfeiture remained in operation until March 28, 2016, when the proceedings under SAFEMA stood suit was filed by the plaintiffs seeking damages of mesne profits, loss of market rent, and the damages arising out of outstanding property tax, along with held that the occupation of property from 1999 to 2020 was unlawful, and allowed the plaintiffs' claim for the grant of mesne profits. Based on the then prevailing market rates, it held they are entitled to over Rs 1.7 crore with interest. The court found it imperative to have a "strict" scrutiny of state actions, particularly those involving the deprivation or restriction of immovable assets.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tribunal upholds I-T attaching 900 accounts in Buldana Coop case
Finding merit in the Income-Tax department's case against alleged irregularities at Buldana Urban Cooperative Credit Society Ltd , an appellate tribunal under Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA) recently upheld the attachment of around 900 suspicious bank accounts . #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Pakistan's economy has much more to lose than India's due to the ongoing tensions, warns Moody's Ratings The day Pakistan got the power to poke India FM Sitharaman meets ADB chief and Italian FM, discusses economic issues; no mention of Pakistan The accounts were attached under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPTA) by the Nagpur unit during the course of its investigation and the same were confirmed by the adjudicating authority (AA). The search operation by the department had allegedly revealed suspicious deposits in numerous accounts at the cooperative society. Funds of over ₹52 crore were found to be connected to PWD contracts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo The society came under I-T scanner during an investigation of its loan to a Nanded-based sugar mill connected with former chief minister Ashok Chavan. He had denied the allegations and said all banking norms were followed. Chavan, a former Congress leader, joined the BJP in 2024. The probe had found that 900 accounts were opened; of this 718 were newly opened non-PAN accounts, 53 old inactive accounts, 118 non-PAN accounts in another branch. The deposits in these accounts followed suspicious patterns structured to keep individual transactions below ₹2 lakh The probe further revealed that the beneficiary of the amount deposited is one SAMRAT. Live Events In September , 2021, the department carried out a search and survey action on premises linked to builders Prashant Nilawar and Jayant Hiralal Shah, who were alleged to be acting as middlemen/liaison in the Public Works Department (PWD) of Maharashtra. Both of them run business of real estate and construction in the name of M/s Rucha Group and M/s Jairaj Group . "The modus operandi of cash collection from HAM works and transfer and posting of officers/engineers of PWD was unearthed in the search. The benami cash transaction of ₹52.19 crore was found with the co-operative society," the I-T had contented. "The document/summary sheet was found stored in the photo gallery of iPhone found in the custody of CA Shri Nilesh Toshniwal."
