ED seeks details of Mirchi’s close aide

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has secured a Letter-Rogatory to Hong Kong authorities, seeking details of the conviction of late gangster Iqbal Mirchi’s close aide Humayun Merchant in a 40-year-old cocaine smuggling case in which his wife too was arrested. The agency also sought details of bank account of Merchant if any, from the Hong Kong police.

Merchant, a close aide of late gangster Mirchi (who allegedly looked after drugs trafficking business of Dawood Ibrahim gang) was arrested in 2019 by the ED in a money-laundering case. The agency claimed that Merchant had helped Mirchi acquire properties in Worli way back in 1986 using money earned through crimes like smuggling, drug trafficking and extortion.

The agency claimed that Merchant was arrested in Hong Kong in 1980-81 for smuggling cocaine from Mumbai to Hong Kong through his second wife Nasreen Farid Edroos. It was claimed that Edroos was acquitted for want of cogent evidence, but Merchant was convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. Merchant’s second wife Edroos is one of the witnesses in money-laundering case.

In her statement, she had claimed that she had joined Saudi Airlines as an air hostess after completing graduation from Sophia college.

Edroos further said that her husband and Mirchi were close friends and were involved in smuggling of narcotic substances and gold, and the money earned through this was used to be transferred through hawala channels. The ED claimed that before marriage in 1980-81, Edroos was planning to visit Hong Kong for Eid shopping. Merchant promised to help her and also made all the bookings.

Edroos claimed he booked a room in Hotel Holiday Inn in Hong Kong and told her that he would also join the next day. Edroos claimed that Merchant gave her a bag to carry to Hong Kong. She claimed Merchant along with Mirchi came to drop her at the airport.

When she travelled with the said bag, she was caught Hong Kong airport.

She said that drugs were concealed in the said bag. Edroos then revealed Merchant’s role. Based on her statement, the local police arrested Merchant for smuggling drugs into their country after he landed in Hong Kong.

The ED began probing Mirchi’s assets in the city, purportedly acquired using the money earned through criminal activities. The central agency alleged that Mirchi had purchased three properties in the city in 1986 Sea View, Marium Lodge and Rabia Mansion.

It claimed that Mirchi was involved in smuggling of narcotics and was operating an extortion racket in India.

ED has listed eight cases against him to show that Mirchi was involved in criminal activities since 1984.

HT ARCHIVES Gangster Iqbal Mirchi