PTI, New Delhi
Published by: Surendra Joshi
Updated Wed, 02 Mar 2022 03:19 PM IST
Summary
NCB chief SN Pradhan had directed that the agency’s officers should only investigate matters of inter-state and international ramifications, complex investigations and cases involving high profile alliances and gangs.
hear the news
Expansion
Last year, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief SN Pradhan had directed that agency officials should only investigate cases with inter-state and international ramifications, complex investigations and cases involving high-profile alliances and gangs. He asked the investigative units of the bureau to properly investigate the transactions related to drug cases and file charge sheets in the competent courts in time.
These guidelines have come at a time when the Mumbai unit of NCB is grappling with several cases including the drugs on cruise case. Last year, NCB Mumbai arrested 20 people, including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, from the Mumbai Goa ship. They are accused of having a drug party on the ship.
The NCB has issued an order to depute consultancy companies to track the chain of financial transactions related to the drug business and to provide effective guidelines for financial investigation. These specialist companies will also undertake the analysis of various databases and financial records with the NCB.
These companies will also help the investigators to trace the illegal earnings made by an accused. This investigation will be done after ascertaining the income and expenses of the accused. The experts will also help the NCB teams to conduct forensic audits, examine reports and documents and analyze bank statements and unearth the illegal income of the accused, his associates and family members.
Initially, these financial experts will be attached to NCB’s regional offices in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Guwahati. The use of crypto currency in drug smuggling is increasing in the country. Due to online trading, it is becoming difficult for NCB to trace the drug chain. In this case, expert services will help speed up the investigation.