Money Laundering Case: Myanmar national among 4 declared POs

Chandigarh, October 8

A Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) court has declared four persons, including a Myanmar national, as “proclaimed persons” in a nine-year-old case.

The accused, Zosanga, alias Sanga, Lalnunhuia, Sangchhunga, all residents of Mizoram, and Devitthang, who belongs to Myanmar and putting up at a refugee camp in Delhi, were booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case. They were arrested by the UT police while trying to procure drugs for running an illegal trade in northeastern states and across the border.

As per the prosecution, the crime branch of the UT police had intercepted a car near Kishangarh in March 2013 and seized 176.5 kg of loose tablets. Its two occupants revealed that the tablets contained a salt used for making heroin. They allegedly confessed that they were going to supply the same to four persons. On the basis of the information, the police laid a trap and arrested the accused when they came to take delivery of the drug. A total of Rs 2.31 crore, along with other drugs, was recovered from them. A country-made pistol with two cartridges was also recovered. The police registered a case under the NDPS Act and Section 25 of the Arms Act on March 17, 2013.

The police claimed that the accused were part of an international drug racket. One of the accused, Devitthang, had a valid refugee certificate from Myanmar and frequently crossed the border to the neighbouring country. A banned salt, pseudoephedrine, was being smuggled to Myanmar and China.

The ED later filed a complaint against the accused before the PMLA court. Sunil Narang, Special Public Prosecutor, represented the directorate before the court.

The PMLA court ordered: “The period of 30 days from the issuance of proclamation has already been expired. The case (has been) called several times since morning but neither the accused nor anyone on their behalf have appeared before the court. Hence, Zosanga, Lalnunhuia, Sangchhunga and Devitthang are declared as ‘proclaimed persons’.”

The court has adjourned the hearing in the case to December 17, with directions to the ED to file a list of properties of the proclaimed persons on or before the next hearing.