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New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Panaji zonal office, has filed a prosecution complaint (PC) against seven accused persons – including Tanzanian national Vedasto Audax, Zimbabwean national Tariro Brightmore Mangawana and Indian nationals Masoom Uike, Chirag Dudhat, Reshma Wadekar, Mangesh Wadekar and Nibu Vincent. The agency said on Saturday, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The complaint, filed on October 18, 2025, is a major step in the ED’s investigation into the international drug trafficking and money laundering network linked to the smuggling of 4.325 kg of cocaine from Laos to India.
The case arises out of an FIR lodged by the Crime Branch of Goa Police.
Earlier, on August 19, 2025, the ED had conducted a massive search operation in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
‘These operations resulted in seizure of vital digital evidence, incriminating documents and freezing of several bank accounts suspected to be linked to laundering of proceeds of crime (POC),’ the ED said in its press note.
During the investigation, Tariro Brightmore Mangwana was arrested on August 22 under Section 19 of the PMLA for his key role in promoting international drug trafficking and money laundering.
It was found that he arranged the travel and financed the Indian drug couriers by receiving commission from the main accused Vedasto Audax.
In a parallel action, the ED also issued a Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) on October 18, attaching assets worth Rs 45.15 lakh, including a house in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, belonging to accused Reshma Wadekar.
It said, “Reshma Wadekar had brought 4.3 kg of cocaine to India from Vientiane in March 2025 in a drug trafficking case. The financial investigation conducted so far by the ED has revealed the creation of POC worth Rs 88.14 lakh linked to drug trafficking.”
The ED investigation has revealed links between the accused and a global drug trafficking syndicate operating from the Golden Triangle, Middle East, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The ED further said that “Further investigation is underway to identify additional beneficiaries, facilitators and assets received from the POC. The ED investigation has also revealed the use of shell entities and benami accounts to route funds, thereby concealing the source of funds earned through drug trafficking.”
Reaffirming its commitment under the ‘Drug Free India Campaign’, the ED said it is committed to dismantling such networks by targeting their financial infrastructure and seizing assets derived from drug trafficking.
–IANS
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