The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) of Mumbai Police Crime Branch produced drug trafficker Aliasgar Shirazi in the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate seeking further custody to probe an international narcotics syndicate linked with fugitive global designated terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and narco-terrorism funding network in India. The magistrate granted additional five-day custody to AEC for Shirazi's interrogation.
The remand application vindicates The Free Press Journal news reports on Shirazi's dirty drug money investments in Hustlers Hospitality cloud kitchens and links with Dawood Ibrahim's accomplice Kailash Rajput for narcotics trafficking in courier to UK, the US and Australia.
The police had summoned over 20 people associated with Shirazi including Hustlers Hospitality promoter Krunal Oza, Maharashtra Gas Company director Munji, directors of courier companies International Express, One Logistics, Pan Freight, Falisha Group director Mehreen Shirazi, chartered accountants Bhavesh Nalavade, accountants Jha and Riddhi Sawant to record statements in the complex layered investments of the drug money into business for money laundering. The police suspect five companies operated by Shirazi were used for investments into courier, logistics, restaurants, cloud kitchens and other business for money laundering.
“Shirazi has been evasive about his business activities and investments. Sustained questioning and confrontation with his associates has revealed the darker side of the investments into several courier companies to ship narcotics consignment to Europe, the US and Australia. His links with Rajput have also been established,” said a senior police official.
According to AEC, over 30 drug shipments to the UK sent by Shirazi in April -May have been identified with more information on drug distribution network, investments and money laundering expected from the forensic audit of encrypted data seized. “Shirazi had formatted his mobile phone when intercepted by the immigration officials at Mumbai Airport while attempting to flee India. Some of the Whatsapp chats contain details of narcotic shipments and pix,” said a police official.
The crime branch team is also probing the drug traffickers' frequent visits to Jammu Kashmir for links with narco terrorism.
Who is Aliasgar Shirazi?
Shirazi was the founder and Managing Director of Falisha Technoworld, which invested â‚ą30 crores in Hustlers Hospitality to operate cloud kitchen startups. An in-depth investigation by The Free Press Journal revealed an intricate web of front companies set up to channel profits of the narco trade into legitimate business for money laundering.
He operated Falisha Venture Capital to invest in new startups and Pan Liner Freight Forwarders for narcotics trafficking in international courier parcels. "Falisha Group is a front for money laundering and drug distribution," alleged senior crime branch officials.
Shirazi laundered money through cloud kitchen startups
Shirazi had made significant investments in cloud kitchen startups with the intention of utilising online food delivery platforms for drug distribution.
Senior crime branch officials explained the modus operandi of the narcotics network, stating, "Drug peddlers were provided with specific codes to place online food orders from 15 different brands operating within the same cloud kitchen. This method allowed them to have their preferred drugs delivered by online food aggregators, thus evading detection. The street peddlers then distributed the drugs to retail consumers."
