A special PMLA court in Mohali, Punjab, on Tuesday convicted 17 people, including alleged drug lord Jagdish Singh alias Bhola, in a high-profile drug trafficking and money laundering case, official sources said.

Bhola, a former wrestler and police officer turned drug mafia figure, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison along with another accused, Avtar Singh Taro. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched the probe in 2013 based on eight FIRs registered by the Punjab Police at various stations.

In 2015, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against 23 accused, of which two were declared fugitives and four died, leading to a halt in the proceedings. This case marks a major success as all the 17 prosecuted persons were convicted under the anti-money laundering laws. Others who were convicted include Sundeep Kaur, Jagminder Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur and more, with sentences ranging from 3-10 years. The Bhola drug laundering case pertains to a multi-crore synthetic narcotics racket that was unearthed in 2013-14, leading to Bhola’s arrest and seizure of assets worth Rs 95 crore.

(With input from agencies.)