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Chandigarh Police arrest wanted hawala operator behind ₹250-crore drug deals
Accused has been running well-oiled network with father and brother; smuggled nearly 1,000 kg heroin from abroad in seven years, as per Chandigarh Police
Days after the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) of the Chandigarh Police uncovered a cross-border drug smuggling racket, with the arrest of six men that led to recovery ₹78 lakh drug money, digging deeper, police have now arrested a high-profile hawala operator.
Purported mastermind of multiple shell companies, who is long wanted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the accused, Money Kalra, 31, is a resident of Phase 2, Dugri, Ludhiana.
A team comprising DSP Uday Pal Singh, inspector Satvinder, sub-inspector Baljeet, sub-inspector Satyawan, head constable Anil, and constables Praveen, Ravinder, Sandeep and Jasbeer nabbed the accused, a Class-10 pass-out, from Nehru Place, Delhi, on the intervening night between Thursday and Friday. Central agencies had issued a look-out circular (LOC) against the accused, said police.
Giving details at a press conference, superintendent of police (SP) Mridul said, “Money Kalra, along with his father, Surinder Kalra, and brother Sunny Kalra were involved in a well-oiled international drug network.”
Talking about the modus operandi, the SP said Money, along with his father and brother, used legally imported goods to conceal drugs, including heroin, brought them to India.
Earlier, the ANTF, unearthing the international drug racket, had arrested six men, including the son of an assistant sub-inspector of Punjab Police, besides a smuggler lodged in the Ferozepur jail, leading to the recovery 130 gm more heroin and ₹78 lakh drug money.
In July, police had arrested Shubham Jain, 28, of Sector 45, Chandigarh, and his supplier, Puneet Kumar, 24, of Ferozepur, whose father is serving as an ASI in Ferozepur.
Kumar was also found in possession of an illegal .32-bore country made pistol and five live cartridges.
Following the disclosure of Puneet, three drug smugglers — Pawan Preet Singh, 24, Ravinder Pal Singh, 31, and Chandan, 23 — all residents of Ferozepur, were arrested.
Ravinder led police to another smuggler, Jagjeet, alias Jagga, 33, who is lodged in Ferozepur jail and had been running the racket from there.
Jagjeet, according to police, is also facing seven criminal cases, including those for murder, attempt to murder and drugs.
Money’s arrest came on the disclosure by Chandan, who revealed that he had given 6.5 lakh cash as drug money to him in Sector 45, Chandigarh.
Police said the racket’s mastermind was Simran Singh, also hailing from Ferozepur, who was operating the syndicate from Melbourne, Australia.
Simran is in contact with Pakistan-based smuggler Arif Dogar, who has been smuggling heroin using drones and plastic bottles left in river water that are collected by his accomplices in India.
Laundered money via shell companies
Police said Money’s father Surender Kalra runs a firm by the name of Impex Overseas Journal Trading of Dubai, along with multiple shell companies. “Through these shell companies, they laundered drug money. They also used hawala channels to move around illegal drug money. Money and his father were actively involved in importing three consignments of illegal heroin from international sources. Primary investigations indicate that they are involved in transferring almost ₹250 crore from India to UAE through these shell companies and hawala operators,” SP Mridul said.
