Hawala network busted in Goa as Rs 50 lakh drug cash found in washing machine; Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau nabs key operator; cartel money trail to Nigeria exposed

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) has uncovered an inter-state hawala racket linked to drug cartels, seizing Rs 50 lakh in cash concealed inside a washing machine at a Goa apartment.The cash was recovered following a month-long surveillance operation carried out by TGANB, with assistance from the Goa Police. The operation led to the arrest of Uttam Singh, a hawala operator who runs a mobile shop in Mapusa, Goa.TGANB officials allege that Singh laundered Rs 2.10 crore of drug proceeds in just one week. The money was allegedly received from individuals, including foreign nationals, and routed to Mumbai before being transferred to Nigeria.“Hard cash earned through drug sales was being handed over to Uttam Singh at his mobile shop. He would then send the money to Mumbai, and from there, it was transferred to Nigeria,” said TGANB Director Sandeep Shandilya.Officials say the Rs 50 lakh seized from the apartment was a two-day collection and was minutes away from being moved abroad. “Had we delayed by an hour, the cash would have left the country,”Shandilya added.

The bureau tracked 58 hawala transactions between May 26 and June 1, during which Rs 2.10 crore was paid to Singh.The hawala network was uncovered during an investigation into Emmanuel Bediako, alias Maxwell, a Nigerian national recently arrested by the bureau.Police believe that Singh is one of several hawala operators working with drug syndicates to transfer proceeds to cartel leaders based overseas.As part of the broader crackdown, four Nigerian nationals have been arrested in Goa over the past month. Drugs worth Rs 1.64 crore, including ecstasy and cocaine, have also been seized.