FATF Praises India-US Probe Into $150 Million Darknet Drug Syndicate As ‘Best Practice’
Global watchdog spotlights India, US teamwork in dismantling a vast darknet drug network. Image courtesy: AI generated image via DALL-E
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror financing and money laundering watchdog, has commended a joint India-US investigation into a $150 million darknet-based international drug trafficking syndicate, calling it a model case of cross-border cooperation.
The case, highlighted in the FATF’s newly released Handbook on International Cooperation Against Money Laundering, involved a major investigation by India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) in collaboration with US authorities. The FATF cited the investigation as one of the “best practice” examples of effective international cooperation.
What did the FATF handbook reveal?
The handbook refers to the syndicate run by two brothers from Haldwani, Uttarakhand, identified in the document as “Mr P” and “Mr B.” Investigations revealed that the duo, later confirmed as Banmeet Singh and Parvinder Singh, operated the “Singh drug trafficking organisation” on darknet platforms such as Silk Road, Alpha Bay, and Hansa.
Operating under the alias Liston, the brothers sold narcotics across the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Jamaica, and the US Virgin Islands. Payments were received in cryptocurrencies, with the probe uncovering more than 8,500 bitcoins, valued at approximately $150 million at the time.
According to the US Justice Department, Banmeet Singh ran at least eight drug distribution cells across multiple American states between 2012 and 2017.
Banmeet was arrested in London in 2019 and extradited to the US in 2023, while Parvinder was held in 2022. In January 2024, Banmeet confessed to his crimes and was subsequently brought back to India.
What were FATF’s conclusions on the US-India narcotics probe?
The FATF praised the case as an example of “real-time, cross-border co-ordination,” noting how US officials travelled to India to directly support the investigation.
The watchdog also lauded India’s online Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) portal and new Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines for international criminal cooperation, calling them a “significant step” toward standardisation.
The FATF handbook, released September 5, 2025, further urged countries to rely not only on formal channels but also on rapid, informal intelligence sharing to combat global money laundering and drug smuggling networks.
