ED searches 10 premises of international drug trafficker Jasmeet

New Delhi, August 29

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations at 10 premises of international drug trafficker Jasmeet Hakimzada under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The search operations were conducted at Delhi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Mumbai, Solapur and Indore.

Hakimzada, who operates from Gulf nations, is named as a “Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker” under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act of United States.

During the search operations, secret bank lockers in the name of Hakimzada and his wife in Delhi were traced and were found to be containing 1.06 kg of unaccounted gold and 370 grams of diamond ornaments. The ED seized the entire jewellery during the search operation.

Jasmeet Hakimzada is also named in the Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, United States. He is also closely associated with proscribed terrorist organisation - Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) - and was allegedly close to Harmeet Singh, alias PhD, Pakistan-based self-styled chief of KLF.

The ED had initiated investigation on the basis of FIR registered by the NIA against Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada and others under various sections of the UAPA, 1967, and NDPS Act, 1985, for unlawful activities and drug trafficking.

The probe revealed that Jasmeet Hakimzada, residing in Dubai, was operating the narco-terror network in India and was sending the Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from drug trafficking by the proscribed terrorist organisation KLF through Hawala to Dubai with the help of full-fledged money exchangers (FFMCs) situated in Amritsar.

The ED investigation also revealed that the drug peddlers controlled by Jasmeet Hakimzada also deposited cash into various bank accounts in India maintained by him. The POC deposited in the bank accounts were further utilised for purchase of high value items and immovable properties at Gurugram, Haryana.

Further probe was on in this regard, official sources said.