ED arrests Rajasthan-based businessman in methaqualone smuggling case

Accused Premprakash Dhankani is now in judicial custody

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a Rajasthan-based businessman on money-laundering charges in connection with illegal manufacture and sale of methaqualone tablets.

The accused, Premprakash Dhankani, was traced to Bengaluru last week and arrested. A special court in Jaipur granted his five-day custody to the central agency.

The ED probe is based on a prosecution complaint filed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) against late Subhash Dudani and others under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The ED alleged that from 1995 to 2016, methaqualone tablets were manufactured and sent to African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, and Dubai by concealing the contraband in various consignments.

According to the central agency, several entities/units were set up in India and abroad with Mr. Dhankani as the director/proprietor, in order to manufacture, transport, and smuggle methaqualone tablets.

The ED claims that four to five tonne of the contraband had been manufactured and trafficked in 2001, five tonne in 2003-04, and 8.95 tonne in 2009. The last batch was produced in 2014-15, of which 14.886 tonne was trafficked overseas. The remaining were seized during a DRI search operation on the premises of Marudhar Drinks in Udaipur. The total proceeds from that offence has been quantified to be ₹118.76 crore.  

“The commission of crime took place in India but its proceeds were received abroad and later transferred to India,” said the agency, adding that the sale proceeds were collected in cash from late Ronny Johnny Smith in Swaziland or Dubai.

The cash received abroad was transferred to India via “hawala” channels and used mostly to purchase properties in India. Apart from this, other cash collections were allegedly shown as part of revenue generated from Dubai-based entities and subsequently transferred to bank accounts maintained in India by Subhash Dudani, Dhankani and other associates.

Earlier, the ED had arrested two other persons, Parmeshwar Vyas and Ravi Dudani, on March 28. They are currently in judicial custody. The agency has also attached 21 immovable properties comprising residential flats, office spaces, plots, a building, and factories worth about ₹13.02 crore in Mumbai and Rajasthan’s Udaipur.