LUCKNOW: A Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Lucknow has sentenced three accused to four years’ rigorous imprisonment each in a money laundering case linked to the seizure of 237.40kg of ganja worth approximately Rs 14.24 lakh.With the conviction of a fourth accused in a separate proceeding, all four accused have now been convicted in the case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.The court convicted Shahid, Harswaroop and Brij Kishore alias Birju under Section 3 of the PMLA, punishable under Section 4 of the Act. The court awarded each of them four years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.Co-accused Deepak Rana had been convicted separately on September 9, 2026. He was also sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000.The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of a case registered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Lucknow, following the interception of a truck carrying 237.40kg of ganja, valued at approximately Rs 14.24 lakh.The narcotic substance was seized, and the accused were subsequently convicted for the scheduled offence under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.The DRI had earlier filed a complaint in connection with the seizure and transportation of the contraband.During its investigation, the ED found that the accused were allegedly involved in the concealment, possession and transportation of proceeds of crime generated through illicit trafficking in narcotic substances.According to the agency, the investigation established their involvement in activities connected with the proceeds of crime, attracting the provisions of the PMLA, 2002.ED said the outcome reaffirmed its commitment to identifying and dismantling the financial networks that sustain drug trafficking.By pursuing the proceeds generated through narcotics-related offences, the agency aims to target the financial foundations of organised drug crime in addition to the underlying criminal activity.
