The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth ₹29.67 crore in an alleged international dark web drug trafficking and cryptocurrency laundering case. The agency claims a network linked to Banmeet Singh generated proceeds through narcotics sales and used Bitcoin and banking channels to move funds. A PMLA court in Dehradun has summoned Banmeet Singh and Amarpreet Kaur Chawla to appear on August 7 after taking cognizance of prosecution complaints. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
ED Attaches ₹29.67 Crore Assets in Global Dark Web Drug and Bitcoin Laundering Case: Key Developments
A case of alleged international dark web drug trafficking and Bitcoin laundering involving Banmeet Singh and Amarpreet Kaur Chawla is under fresh proceedings before a PMLA court, with the Enforcement Directorate attaching assets worth Rs 29.67 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stepped up its probe into an alleged international narcotics and cryptocurrency laundering racket by attaching assets worth ₹29.67 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Banmeet Singh and his wife Amarpreet Kaur Chawla have been summoned by the PMLA Special Court in Dehradun to appear on August 7 after the court took cognizance of the charge sheets filed by the prosecution.
The ED said the investigation is linked to an international syndicate allegedly involved in large-scale drug trafficking through dark web marketplaces, with the illegal proceeds converted into Bitcoin and then transferred and integrated into the financial system of India. Authorities allege the accused participated in laundering proceeds generated from illegal narcotics sales conducted across multiple countries.
Global Dark Web Investigation Targets Alleged 'Singh Organisation' Network
The probe was taken up after intelligence inputs from United States federal agencies prompted Indian authorities to track the financial trail of the alleged criminal enterprise. The network, called the "Singh Organisation", was allegedly operated by Banmeet Singh and his brother, Parvinder Singh, under pseudonymous online names, investigators said.
The ED said the organisation allegedly operated in dark web marketplaces under the online alias of "Liston". The network made substantial earnings from illegal online drug sales and distributed controlled substances in all 50 US states and several international jurisdictions, investigators said.
The agency also claims that the organisation has accumulated over 8,088 bitcoins from these illicit activities. The money was allegedly transferred into legitimate financial channels in jurisdictions including India, and it was believed cryptocurrency was used to conceal the source of the proceeds.
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ED Alleges Foreign Remittances Were Routed Into Indian Financial System
Foreign inward remittances of over Rs 10.82 crore were transferred into Indian bank accounts owned by the accused and their close relatives from 2012 to 2017, stated the Enforcement Directorate. Officials said the transfers had no verifiable legitimate source of income.
The ED claims the funds were moved through multiple banking layers to obscure their alleged criminal origin before being invested in financial instruments and real estate. Amarpreet Kaur Chawla is also alleged by investigators to have played a key role in concealing the alleged proceeds of crime.
The agency said the money was parked in fixed deposits and also used to purchase high-value assets including properties in Greater Kailash in New Delhi. Based on these findings, ED has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth Rs 29.67 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
PMLA Court Rejects Double Jeopardy Argument Raised by Defense
Banmeet Singh’s lawyer during the trial argued that his client had already pleaded guilty and served a prison sentence in the United States and that to prosecute him further in India would violate the protections against double jeopardy under international legal principles.
But the PMLA Special Court in Dehradun dismissed that argument, saying money laundering is a separate and independent offence under Indian law. The court said the alleged laundering activities with respect to the proceeds brought into or invested in India are within the jurisdiction of Indian authorities.
The court also ruled that a foreign conviction or sentence would not automatically bar prosecution under Indian anti-money laundering laws, if authorities alleged that the proceeds of crime were then integrated into India’s financial system. The proceedings continue, and the accused will now face the court.
The probe is on with the Enforcement Directorate investigating the case’s financial transactions, cryptocurrency movements, banking records and alleged proceeds of crime. More developments are expected as judicial proceedings continue before the PMLA Special Court in Dehradun. Sprouts News will continue to monitor official updates, noting that the allegations against Banmeet Singh, Amarpreet Kaur Chawla and Parvinder Singh are still subject to judicial examination and due process under Indian law.
