ED Cracks Down on International Drug Kingpin with Property Seizure in Gurugram

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confiscated properties worth Rs 1.22 crore in Haryana linked to Jasmeet Hakimzada, an international drug trafficker. Operating from Dubai, Hakimzada is tied to the Khalistan Liberation Force, directing proceeds through illegal channels. The properties were bought with drug-trafficking gains.

New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI) - In a significant crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday announced the attachment of immovable assets valued at Rs 1.22 crore as part of ongoing investigations into international drug trafficker Jasmeet Hakimzada. The properties, located in Sohna, Gurugram, were seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The investigation began following an FIR by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Hakimzada and others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) lists Hakimzada as a 'significant foreign narcotics trafficker,' with a classified connection to the Khalistan Liberation Force's (KLF) Pakistan-based chief.

Residing in Dubai, Hakimzada orchestrated a narco-terror network in India, channeling illicit funds from KLF's drug activities to Dubai using hawala systems. During an ED raid on August 27, secret bank lockers containing unaccounted gold and jewels in Hakimzada's name were uncovered. These funds facilitated illegal real estate purchases, now seized by the ED, in Gurugram.

(With inputs from agencies.)