Court issues letter of request to Australia in PMLA probe

A Delhi court has issued a letter of request to the competent authorities in Australia seeking its assistance in Enforcement Directorate's probe for collecting evidence in a case of alleged laundering of money globally in a drug trafficking racket.
The court issued the request after ED submitted that the probe in the case, in which three accused were arrested on September 25 from Amritsar and Delhi, has international ramifications and further investigation needed to be carried out in various places in India and abroad.
"I have heard the submissions (of ED) and perused the record and also the documents which prima facie show that the documents and evidence are required to be collected from Australia with whom India has Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

"Having regard to the investigations which have been so far made and also the submissions made, letter of request be issued to the competent authorities of Australia for collection of evidence and documents," Additional Sessions Judge Neena Bansal Krishna said.
ED had arrested Gagandeep Singh and Paramdeep Singh from Amritsar on September 25 while third accused Gaurav Gupta was taken into custody in Delhi on the same day.
ED's special prosecutor Naveen Kumar Matta told the court that the Australian Federal Police has been conducting probe into the activities of global money laundering networks relating to drug trafficking and a letter of request was received from the Australian authorities for assistance regarding involvement of these accused in the syndicate.

ED said that a case was lodged under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 24 and residence and business premises of the accused were searched in Amritsar and Delhi in which some incriminating documents, electronic devices, Rs 77 lakh and assorted foreign currencies were recovered and seized.
Matta submitted that these accused were involved in illegal business of fund transfer to and from India to Australia and vice versa through banking channels and Hawala route relating to funds generated out of drug money which was in fact proceeds of crime under PMLA.
ED also alleged that the money was also transferred to the United Kingdom (UK), the US, the UAE, Europe and Hongkong.