Kolkata, Sep 2: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) conducted a raid at a house near the India-Nepal border in the early hours of Wednesday and seized 952 grams of suspected brown sugar. The value of the narcotics could be more than Rs 40 lakh in the illicit market, officials said.

One person has been taken into custody in this connection.

“Around 5 a.m. on September 2, acting on specific information received from the intelligence setup of 41 Bn SSB, a joint operation was conducted by personnel of G Company, Bhatgaon, A Company, Nimuguri, and a team from Galgalia Police Station at the residence of Md Jalal (60), at Thika Toli, Galgalia, Kishanganj, Bihar. During the operation, 952 gms of suspected brown sugar was recovered in five packets from the house, with the help of a sniffer dog. A mobile detection kit verified it to be narcotics. A keypad mobile phone was also recovered from the accused,” a senior SSB official said.

During interrogation, Jalal allegedly disclosed that his son-in-law, named Md Shamshad Alam, is involved in the dealing of narcotics and the packets belonged to him. The police verified the facts and confirmed that Alam is a history sheeter and has been involved in several narcotics smuggling cases.

The seized packets, along with the accused and the phone, have been handed over to the Galgalia Police Station.

On August 30, a joint team of the SSB and police had apprehended a woman from Galgalia with 50 grams of brown sugar. She had revealed that her husband and son are involved in the drug trade.

Drug trafficking is rampant in the area close to the India-Nepal border. Criminals take advantage of the boundary between Bihar and West Bengal and the international border to carry out their nefarious activities, authorities said.

“Once they cross over into West Bengal, the Bihar Police have no jurisdiction and vice versa. The police have no jurisdiction close to the border, while the SSB can’t operate too far inside. The criminals are aware of this and take advantage,” another official said.

The unique nature of the border between India and Nepal also poses a problem for the enforcers. Citizens of both countries require no passports or visas to move across, and not everybody can be searched without a valid reason.

Cross-border trafficking of drugs also takes place. In the past, Indians have been apprehended in Nepal with drugs, while citizens of that country have been found in possession in India. The heavy tourist footfall in Nepal and the demand for banned substances is also an issue.

Officials suspect that several gangs operate in the area. Over time, better co-ordination has evolved between the various agencies, and there is regular information sharing. Intelligence networks have also been activated for information about criminals.

“Apart from maintaining vigil along the border, we co-ordinate with central and state agencies to prevent crime in the area. Locals are also regularly told to seek out help to keep the area crime-free for their own sake,” the SSB official added.

Mumbai, Sep 2: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at 12 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of its ongoing investigation into the Cyprus-based illegal online betting platform Parimatch.

The searches were carried out at five locations in Maharashtra, two in Rajasthan, one in Gujarat and four locations across Delhi-NCR in connection with the case involving Parimatch and others.

According to the investigation agency, the premises searched included those linked to payment companies allegedly involved in converting betting proceeds into cash through Cash Management System (CMS) agents.

The searches also covered Chartered Accountants (CAs) and Company Secretaries who allegedly facilitated the transfer of proceeds out of the country through illegal remittances and sham Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) transactions.

Payment gateways that allegedly handled the collection and disbursement of funds, including pay-ins and payouts on behalf of Parimatch, were also among the premises covered during Wednesday’s searches.

The latest action comes months after the ED’s Mumbai Zonal Office conducted searches at 17 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Daman and Uttar Pradesh in May this year in connection with the same investigation.

During the raids, the agency seized movable assets worth around Rs 1.56 crore, including cash amounting to nearly Rs 1.2 crore. The ED also froze approximately Rs 3.8 crore lying in various bank accounts. Several incriminating documents and digital devices were recovered during the search operations.

The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Cyber Police Station, Mumbai, against Parimatch.com for allegedly duping users through online betting operations.

According to investigators, the platform lured investors with promises of high returns and is suspected to have generated more than Rs 3,000 crore in a year.

The investigation revealed that Parimatch and its associates allegedly operated through a complex network of mule accounts, payment intermediaries, and financial inclusion channels to collect, layer and transfer user funds.

Investigators also found that the platform advertised through leading quick-commerce applications and circulated promotional material along with grocery deliveries to attract and onboard new users. These advertisements were strategically displayed during app usage and order placements.

The ED said it has so far frozen assets worth Rs 112 crore in the case. Further investigation is underway.

Mumbai, Sep 2: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI investigation into the death of Disha Salian, former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide in June 2020.

The court clarified that no individual should be treated as an accused unless the Investigating Officer finds sufficient material against them during the probe.

The order came while hearing a petition filed by Satish Salian, Disha’s father, alleging lapses by the Mumbai Police in the investigation into his daughter’s death.

Speaking to media after the order, advocate Nilesh Ojha, counsel for Satish Salian, said the court had directed the CBI to record the petitioner’s statement, register an FIR, appoint a senior officer to conduct the investigation, and take custody of all relevant records from Malvani Police Station.

“The court has made it clear that action must be taken against anyone against whom evidence is found. At the same time, no person should be named as an accused without evidence. It has also clarified that if the CBI files a closure report, we will have the right to object and file a protest petition. We have full faith that truth will prevail.” Ojha told media.

Earlier, Ojha had alleged that influential individuals and certain senior police officers were involved in suppressing the case despite legal provisions mandating the registration of an FIR.

Reacting to the order, Disha’s father Satish Salian expressed confidence that the truth would emerge through the investigation.

“It has been a six-year fight. I always had faith that the truth would come out. Action should be taken against whoever is found guilty. Anyone who has done wrong must face the consequences,” he told media.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai’s Malad area.