Mumbai: ED Uncovers International Drug Syndicate Using Call Centers In Lucknow, Delhi, And Hyderabad To Target Clients In USA And UK

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted a comprehensive investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), allegedly exposing a sophisticated international drug syndicate with operations across call centers in Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad, and other cities. The investigation reveals that these call centers were targeting clients in the USA and the UK for the sale of psychotropic medicines and opioids.

Central to this alleged operation was Haidar Abbas, who is said to be a key figure in the Sirazi syndicate. Abbas is alleged to have established the M/s Global Insight Telecommunication call center at 5, Park Road, Hazratganj, Lucknow, in 2017-18. The call center allegedly focused on clients in the USA and the UK, offering banned psychotropic medicines and opioids, including tramadol, alprazolam, diazepam, R-Lam, clonazepam, and lorazepam.

According to Abbas's statement to the financial probe agency, the call center's allegedly obtained data on US-based clients was procured through Gopal Gupta, a software engineer affiliated with various IT firms in Lucknow. Equipped with this data, the call center staff would cold-call potential clients to ascertain their requirements for opioid tablets. Upon securing an order, the clients were quickly converted into regular customers, ensuring a steady stream of illicit transactions.

According to Haidar Abbas's statement, the consolidated data containing clients' details, names, addresses, the names of banned psychotropic medicines and opioids, and the quantities requested were sent via Skype or WhatsApp to Abdul Samad. Abdul Samad was responsible for procuring various psychotropic medicines for the Sirazi syndicate.

Abbas's statement also revealed that Abdul Samad, apart from coordinating with the Lucknow call center, sourced leads from call centers based in Delhi, Hyderabad, and several other cities targeting USA and UK clients. After receiving substantial orders, Samad is said to have dispatched consignments to Shirazi’s office in Andheri, where, Shirazi's associates hid the drug consignments in boxes containing sarees, garments, and food items. They informed Shirazi of the box and bag numbers, which his employees used to place the courier load. The consignments were then sent to the airport for shipment to the USA and UK.

According to the financial probe agency, the call center company M/s Global Insight Telecommunication not only functioned as a channel to obtain details of USA-based clients but also routed the proceeds from the sale of psychotropic medicines and opioids in the USA to India using various channels. The investigation reveals an inward money trail disguised as consultancy services in M/s Global Insight Telecommunication. The money trail shows credits to M/s Global Service Company, directed by Akshay Kumar Malik, from various individual accounts receiving foreign inward

Furthermore, Abbas allegedly stated that he adapted his operations by collaborating with Mrs. Neilofer Bodh, a resident of the USA who managed multiple payment gateways under names such as DESIONLINE LLC and GLOBAL LINK MARKETING LLC. Abbas’s call center is said to have continued sourcing clients and processing transactions, forwarding funds primarily to Abdul Samad. Additionally, Abbas allegedly worked with his cousin, Inayat Ali, who had connections with Ali Asghar Shirazi, a known opioid supplier. Together, they are said to have supplied opioids to US clients based on orders from Neilofer Bodh.

The revelations from Haider Abbas's statement have cast a spotlight on the dark operations of call centers in Lucknow, Delhi, and Hyderabad, exposing a complex network of illegal drug distribution.