The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- The Enforcement Directorate's Bengaluru office carried out searches in Hyderabad and Chennai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case tied to the illegal manufacture and trafficking of ketamine.
- The case stems from a Narcotics Control Bureau complaint after 26.75 kg of ketamine was seized from J. Kannan in Bengaluru in April 2019 and 25.45 kg was recovered from a clandestine laboratory run by Shivaraj Urs a day later.
- The ED alleges that raw materials for making the drug were sourced from the R&D centre of Hyderabad-based Inchem Laboratories through its R&D in-charge, Putta Venkateshwarlu, and that drug proceeds were moved through cash and hawala channels to buy properties, invest in firms and fund personal expenses.
- During the raids, the agency seized ₹82.82 lakh in cash, $18,000 in foreign currency, and documents and devices linked to the alleged proceeds of crime; all three accused are described as habitual offenders in earlier ketamine cases.
What to watch next
- Whether the ED attaches properties, company investments and other assets bought with the alleged drug proceeds
- Any further action against Inchem Laboratories and scrutiny of how its R&D centre's raw materials were diverted
- Whether a prosecution complaint is filed against J. Kannan, Shivaraj Urs and Putta Venkateshwarlu in the money laundering case
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1 report
English national1
All filed from India
Named India · Bengaluru · Chennai · Hyderabad · Ketamine · Enforcement Directorate · Inchem Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. · J. Kannan · Narcotics Control Bureau · Putta Venkateshwarlu · Shivaraj Urs
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