ED arrests hawala operator in drug case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Gaurav Dawar, a hawala operator, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002. This move is part of an investigation into the large-scale import of heroin, which had been hidden in consignments of semi-processed talc, along with other seizures of narcotics in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. The next day, Dawar was produced before the Special Judge (PMLA) at the Tis Hazari Courts and was sent back to ED custody for five days.
The investigation into money laundering started when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a First Information Report (FIR) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the Indian Penal Code concerning Harpreet Singh Talwar and others; the NIA has already submitted six charge sheets.
The documents state that a number of the accused conspired with an international drug-smuggling syndicate which was based in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai. The network is said to have been headed by the wanted accused Vitaysh Koser, also known as Raju Dubai, and to have included agents of the Pakistani ISI and Afghan nationals.
Earlier, investigators with the NIA had quantified the proceeds from the illegal sale of narcotic drugs at about Rs 74 crore. The money was passed on via hawala channels to Afghanistan, and it is alleged that it was used to finance terrorist activities.
The ED’s follow-up investigation has so far uncovered criminal proceeds amounting to Rs 89 crore. This amount includes the proceeds from the smuggling of contraband, the distribution of drug proceeds, and funds obtained through hawala operations, such as the Rs 74 crore worth of hawala that the NIA has already identified. Officials said they are making further efforts to find additional proceeds generated in the same manner.
The NIA has carried out several search operations under the PMLA in this case, the most recent of which occurred from 15 to 17 July 2026. It has been found that both Gaurav Dawar and co-accused Harpreet Singh Talwar received remuneration both in the form of goods and via hawala for helping to move the drug consignments sent by the overseas syndicate. The payments in the form of goods included banned items such as Gudangaram cigarettes, betel-nut consignments, dry dates and perfumes which Raju Dubai provided. Additionally, Dawar received cash in UAE dirhams directly from Raju Dubai on various occasions when he went to Dubai for the smuggling operations.
The agency stated that the contaminated funds were systematically layered and incorporated into commercial hospitality businesses, nightclubs, and luxury properties. Dawar made cash investments in two nightclubs in Delhi, the Playboy Club and the White Club, operated through Newera Feast and Hospitality Private Limited, along with the co-accused.
The ED has said that the arrest forms part of a comprehensive Government initiative aimed at bringing down the drug-smuggling operation and the related network of money laundering and hawala transactions. The agency has once again stressed its dedication to safeguarding national security and the integrity of India’s economic system. Further investigation is still ongoing.
