The ED has arrested Baneet Singh Talwar in connection with an alleged international drug trafficking and money laundering racket worth Rs 89 crore, with seizures linked to Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. The agency arrested Talwar on October 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was produced before the Special Judge (PMLA) at Tis Hazari Courts in New Delhi, which granted the ED five days of custody for interrogation. The money laundering probe traces back to an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the UAPA, the NDPS Act and the IPC against Harpreet Singh Talwar, Baneet Singh Talwar’s brother, and others. According to the ED, the alleged network concealed narcotics in semi-processed talc. The NIA has filed six chargesheets laying out links between the syndicate and drug cartels operating from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai. The case also names a wanted alleged mastermind, Vitaysh Koser, alias Raju Dubai, along with Afghan nationals and individuals allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). On the financial side, the ED alleges it found about Rs 89 crore in proceeds of crime generated through drug smuggling, hawala transactions involving Afghanistan and goods received in kind. It claims about Rs 76 crore was transferred to Afghanistan via hawala channels to fund terrorist activities. The ED alleges Talwar managed business entities beneficially owned by his brother even after Harpreet Singh Talwar’s arrest by the NIA. It also alleges Talwar infused more than Rs 55 lakh into M/s Magent India, which the agency says was used in drug trafficking operations. The ED says it detected round-tripping, mirror entries and multilayered financial transactions used to route funds back to him. Investigators further allege cash deposits were used to purchase vehicles registered to alleged benami entities, and that immovable properties were acquired using proceeds of crime for the benefit of Harpreet Singh Talwar’s family. Further investigation is underway as the ED works to trace additional proceeds of crime and map the alleged financial network.