The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out searches at 11 premises, in Mumbai and Gujarat, as part of its money-laundering probe against an alleged international narcotics - trafficking network of Navin Chichkar, from which narcotics worth ₹200 crore were seized in January 2025.
The network under the ED scanner is accused of selling narcotics including cocaine, hydroponic cannabis, LSD, and cannabis edibles, mainly smuggled from outside India including the United States of America. Wednesday’s searches focussed on tracing the network’s proceeds of crime generated through drug sale and its further diversion and concealment, ED officials said.
In June, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) ‘s Mumbai unit secured Navin Chichkar’s preventive detention in a Chennai ( Tamil Nadu) prison after his deportation from Malaysia in May last year.
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Narcotics Seizure and Chichkar’s Deportation
On January 31 last year, the NCB’s Mumbai zonal unit had seized narcotics, including 11.54kg of high-grade cocaine in the form of 12 bricks, alongside 4.9 kg of hydroponic weed and 5.5kg of cannabis gummies smuggled in from abroad including the US, cumulatively worth ₹200 crore, from the Navi Mumbai flat of a network operative.
After his alleged involvement in the seizure case was revealed, NCB secured Chichkar’s deportation from Malaysia last May, after he was intercepted there based on a pending Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN). A special NDPS court had also earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Chichkar in connection with the seizure of cocaine, according to NCB officials.
How the Syndicate Allegedly Operated
{{/usCountry}}After his alleged involvement in the seizure case was revealed, NCB secured Chichkar’s deportation from Malaysia last May, after he was intercepted there based on a pending Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN). A special NDPS court had also earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against Chichkar in connection with the seizure of cocaine, according to NCB officials.
How the Syndicate Allegedly Operated
{{/usCountry}}Investigators found that the syndicate allegedly included educated professionals, including engineers and post graduates from foreign universities. It operated strictly on a need-to-know basis, and members used code words, encrypted instant messaging apps and virtual numbers while communicating among themselves to escape detection by law enforcement agencies.
ED’s Findings on Alleged Laundering
During Wednesday’s searches, the ED recovered multiple purportedly incriminating materials, digital devices, and evidence allegedly showing the laundering of drug proceeds, agency officials said.
ED’s investigation has revealed that the drug sale proceeds were transferred outside India by the accused and his associates through hawala channels and in the form of cryptocurrency, which is virtual money but not legitimate tender in India. The searches allegedly led to the revelation of multiple pieces of evidence corroborating the transfer of the drug sale proceeds, officials said.
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ED’s investigation against Chichkar and others was initiated based on cases registered by the NCB (Mumbai), the Mumbai police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) and the Navi Mumbai police, following the seizure of substantial quantities of high-grade hydroponic cannabis (Ganja), cocaine, and unaccounted cash in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, officials said. The probes allegedly revealed that Chichkar invested a substantial amount of funds in cryptocurrency.
The probes revealed that the drug proceeds were allegedly deposited directly with hawala operators, who later paid Chichkar in USDT or Thai Baht while he was abroad.