In a significant crackdown on narcotics-related crime, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Jalandhar has sentenced notorious drug lord Ranjit Singh Kandola, also known as Raja Kandola, to nine years in prison. His wife, Rajwant Kaur, was also convicted and sentenced to three years in jail for her involvement in the case, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The police investigation against Kandola and his wife began in Punjab in June 2012 when narcotic substances worth Rs 200 crore were recovered. The syndicate allegedly run by Kandola and his companions was linked to these drugs. Following the research, they claimed that Kandola is implicated in the illicit production of ‘Ice’, a recreational drug synthesized using methamphetamine and ephedrine. Charges were also laid against him for smuggling heroin into India illegally from Pakistan as part of his unlawful activities.
The analytic framework for Kandola and his wife is founded on a Punjab Police probe that started in June 2012, after Rs 200 crore worth of narcotic substances were recovered. It had found out that the syndicate was handled by Kandola, who was assisted by friends. This investigation realized that he was producing illegal ‘Ice’ a party drug made from methamphetamine and ephedrine. He also smuggled heroin from Pakistan to India as one of the unlawful acts he had committed.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made a significant contribution that assisted in revealing the money-laundering part of the case according to police investigations. A web of intricate channels was exposed by ED, through which Kandola laundered the income from his drug business, applying diverse ways to mask the illegal origin of his funds. This evidence formed the basis of the charges under the PMLA.
Kandola was discovered giving drugs to numerous places throughout Punjab, Delhi and some other cities all over India thereby making him a major player in the drug dealing world.
The incarceration of Raja Kandola and Rajwant Kaur is perceived as a major success in the war against trafficking drugs within Punjab with officials promising to maintain their spot on these illegitimately produced goods. The matter brings out a lot more about how much they are still fighting against money laundering and drug-associated crimes in that area but also why it is so hard on people involved with these types of things.
