ED freezes over 100 ‘mule’ accounts, seizes Rs 70 lakh money in cocaine trafficking case

The Enforcement Directorate has frozen 110 “mule” financial institution accounts, seized Rs 70 lakh in money and located utilization of Dubai-based cryptocurrency wallets throughout searches in a cash laundering case linked to alleged drug trafficking in Delhi, a press release mentioned on Sunday.

Mule financial institution accounts are used to switch illicit funds and are opened by misusing real or utilizing faux buyer IDs.

The raids have been undertaken on November 14 after the federal probe company took cognisance of a Narcotics Management Bureau (NCB) criticism of November 2024 associated to the seizure of 82.53 kg of “high-grade” cocaine.
The ED coated 5 premises in Delhi-NCR and Jaipur in the course of the searches.

The seized occasion drug was estimated to be value Rs 900 crore by the NCB and 5 individuals have been arrested by the central anti-narcotics company.

“The searches indicated a web based betting and playing community being operated by means of mobile-based functions.”The operation resulted within the freezing of 110 mule financial institution accounts, together with 73 linked with UPI IDs and digital wallets that have been actively getting used for dealing with transactions associated to the betting operations,” the ED assertion mentioned.Some paperwork and digital gadgets seized in the course of the searches present using Dubai-based cryptocurrency wallets for the switch of funds, it mentioned.

Rs 70 lakh money, “incriminating” paperwork, digital gadgets and monetary information have been additionally seized, the ED mentioned.