India's Enforcement Directorate files PMLA case against 19 in Assam‑Arunachal liquor smuggling racket

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Guwahati has lodged a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against 19 individuals, including alleged kingpins Sanjay Dewan, Niraj Sharma, Rajan Lohia, Shankar Deb and Sameer Mehta, along with 14 bonded‑warehouse entities. The case concerns a large‑scale operation that manufactured liquor in Arunachal Pradesh and smuggled it into Assam to avoid higher excise duty and VAT.

Assam Excise authorities seized more than 2.63 lakh litres of illicit liquor, valued at roughly Rs 52.77 crore, in 739 incidents between January 2023 and April 2026. The ED estimates the proceeds of crime at about Rs 1,047.93 crore, laundered through a four‑tier network of wholesalers, warehouses and hawala channels that moved cash across states using coded transactions.

Investigators say the three principal accused held a virtual monopoly over Arunachal Pradesh’s liquor trade, using dummy directors and proxy licence holders to control manufacturing, warehousing and retail operations while diverting revenue into legitimate‑looking assets.