FPJ Exclusive: US-India Drug Trafficking: Akhil Chauhan And Nilofer Bodh Laundered Millions Through US Payment Gateways For Psychotropic Drug Sales

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a major money laundering operation connected to the illegal trafficking of psychotropic medicines in the USA and UK, identifying Akhil Chauhan and his wife Nilofer Bodh as key figures. According to the prosecution complaint, the couple allegedly played a crucial role in laundering proceeds from the illicit sale and trafficking of psychotropic medicines and opioids.The financial probe agency found  that the couple was also involved in the procurement of banned psychotropic substances in the USA and was directly engaged in selling these banned medicines to clients in the country. After being apprehended by US authorities in 2021, the couple fled to India US authority  issued (IWA) Issuance of warrant  against them.

According to the ED Prosecution Complaint(PC) Chauhan and Bodh set up a payment gateway company in the USA between 2017 and 2018, which served as a conduit for their illegal activities. Neilofer Bodh oversaw the business operations, managing the payment gateway through which the funds generated from Narco trafficking were funneled and transferred to India.

 According to the complaint, Haidar Abbas, the key figure in Sirazi's drug syndicate, received orders for banned psychotropic medicines and opioids from the USA through his call center, M/s Global Insight Telecommunication, in Lucknow during 2017-18. The call center allegedly targeted clients in the USA and the UK, offering banned psychotropic medicines and opioids, including tramadol, alprazolam, diazepam, R-Lam, clonazepam, and lorazepam. Abdul Samad and inayat ali allegedly arranged for the banned psychotropic medicines and opioids and supplied them through Sirazi's web network of courier shipments to the USA and UK.

Chauhan and Bodh, who resided in the USA until 2021, allegedly collaborated with several USA-based individuals and Haidar Abbas to orchestrate multiple payment gateways in the USA. These gateways were strategically utilized to collect payments from clients purchasing psychotropic medicines. The funds were subsequently funneled to India via the Global Link Marketing LLC payment gateways, with Chauhan serving as the sole proprietor of the company. Under the guise of providing business consultancy and marketing services, these payments were directed to Haidar Abbas, effectively masking the illicit activities. 

The couple operated companies under the names Desionline LLC, Omsairam2 LLC, Global Link Marketing LLC, and Cloud Technologies LLC. They maintained several bank accounts in USA banks, which were used for payment gateways for laundering the proceeds from the sale of banned psychotropic medicines and opioids.

From 2017 to 2023, Chauhan and Bodh’s companies channeled a substantial ₹6.65 crore to Haidar Abbas through their payment gateways.The accused,Neilofer Bodh and Akhil Chauhan, were found to be in receipt of proceeds of crime amounting to ₹7.17 crore related to the illegal trafficking of psychotropic medicines to the USA. . Of this amount, ₹2.30 crore was routed to Abbas’s call center, while the remaining ₹4.87 crore was held by the couple.These proceeds of crime (PoC) were utilized for acquiring assets worth approximately ₹2.20 crore in the form of fixed deposits, while the remaining funds were expended. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen the fixed deposit and bank account balance totaling ₹2.20 crore.   

The ED’s probe also revealed that Chauhan and Bodh faced charges from the State of Arizona in 2021 for conspiracy and transportation of a dangerous drug, Alprazolam, above the legal threshold limit. Both Chauhan and Bodh stated that they were caught by US authorities while driving a car containing Alprazolam above the threshold limit, which they intended to deliver to their client. They were investigated by US authorities and appeared before them for the last time in 2022, after which they moved to India in March-April 2023. According to the ED, both are attempting to hide these details.

The ongoing investigation by the ED reveals that the couple  involvement went beyond merely providing payment gateway services for Haidar Abbas. The couple was deeply entangled in the illegal procurement of psychotropic medicines through Abbas. The ED uncovered critical evidence, including chat records between Abbas and Sayyad Inayat Ali, which detailed the USA address for the delivery of various psychotropic medicines. Despite this incontrovertible evidence, both were attempted to mislead the ED by claiming that Abbas only sent Maggi packets, Yippie noodles, spices, and other innocuous items to their US-based address. In reality, they were directly engaged in selling psychotropic medicines to clients in the USA. The laundered funds were either funneled back to Haidar Abbas or used by the couple to acquire a range of assets, including fixed deposits and other properties, which they fraudulently presented as legitimate.