Archive · 7 Sep 2025
FATF Commends India-US Drug Probe, Cites Best Practice
Imagine two brothers were secretly selling drugs online.
They used secret websites to sell drugs and got paid in digital money.
They made a lot of money, about $150 million!
The police in both India and the US worked together to catch them.
One brother was caught in London and brought back to the US.
They found out the brothers had a huge network of drug sales across many countries.
The police shared information quickly and helped each other.
A group that watches out for money laundering and terrorist financing liked how the police worked together and said it was a good example for other countries.
FATF praised a joint India-US probe into a $150 million darknet drug smuggling operation.
The case involved two brothers, Banmeet and Parvinder Singh, who ran a drug trafficking organization.
The Singh brothers sold drugs on the dark web, earning in cryptocurrencies and amassing approximately $150 million.
The drug network extended across multiple states in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe.
The FATF cited the case as a 'best practice' example of international cooperation.
- Who
- The Enforcement Directorate (ED), the US, and the Singh brothers.
- What
- Joint investigation and subsequent arrests related to a $150 million darknet drug smuggling operation.
- When
- Investigation ongoing, arrests made in 2019, 2022, and 2023; FATF released its handbook on Friday, January 2024.
- Where
- India, the US, the UK, and various locations across the drug network.
- Why
- To dismantle a darknet-based drug trafficking syndicate and address money laundering and international cooperation in criminal matters.
- Case Overview
- Joint India-US investigation into a $150 million darknet drug syndicate.
- Accused
- Banmeet Singh and Parvinder Singh, brothers from Haldwani, India.
- Drug Sales
- Sold drugs under the name 'Liston' on dark web platforms.
- Cryptocurrency
- Earned in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies; held over 8,500 bitcoins.
- International Reach
- Drug network spanned the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Jamaica, and US Virgin Islands.
- Arrests
- Banmeet Singh arrested in London (2019), extradited to US (2023); Parvinder Singh arrested (2022).
- FATF Recognition
- Cited as a 'best practice' case in its handbook for international cooperation.