New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key absconding accused in the Attari border heroin seizure case involving the smuggling of over 102 kgs of narcotics from Afghanistan via the India-Pakiastan border in April 2022, the agency said on Saturday.
Amritpal Singh, a resident of Punjab's Tarn Taran district, was taken into custody by the NIA on Friday. He is the third person to be arrested in the case (RC-35/2022/NIA/DLI). "Investigations have revealed Amritpal to be the handler of cash and launderer of drug proceeds through banking and hawala channels," said.
The case pertains to the recovery and seizure of a total of 102.784 kg of heroin, valued at approximately Rs 700 crores. The seizures were made in two instalments, on 24th and 26th April 2022, by the Indian Customs when the drugs arrived in the country from Afghanistan via Integrated Check Post Attari, Amritsar. The drugs had been concealed in a consignment of Licorice roots (Mulethi).
Amritpal was detained by Immigration officers on December 12, while trying to flee to Dubai from the Amritsar International Airport. The immigration officers detained him on the basis of the orders passed by the competent authority on December 7, in view of the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by the NIA.
"Amritpal's role in the conspiracy relating to the international drug nexus came to light following the examination of associates of the various persons accused in the case, and also from several incriminating transactions done by Amritpal Singh in the bank accounts of the other accused," said the agency.
NIA investigations have revealed Amritpal to have been involved in the larger conspiracy hatched by a global drug cartel.
As part of the drug network, the NIA said, Amritpal was the conduit for circulation of drug money to various distributors in India as well as the main accused settled abroad. "Amritpal Singh used his travel agency and money transfer business to transfer the proceeds of drugs, as per the investigations."
Based on the disclosures of the associates of the accused, the NIA had, on October 22, conducted searches at Amritpal's residential and official premises, leading to the recovery of cash amounting to Rs 1,34,12,000, as proceeds of narcotics.
"It was found that Amritpal Singh had, at the behest of Dubai-based absconding accused Shahid Ahmed alias Qazi Abdul Wadood, transferred huge amounts generated as proceeds of drugs into his (Shahid's) bank accounts and also to the latter's India-based associate Razi Haider Zaidi and some others.
"On November 8, a day after the Competent Authority issued the freeze order, the NIA froze Amritpal's seized cash amount as 'illegally acquired property under section 68F(1) of the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Investigations by the NIA, after it took over the case on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), have so far revealed that the drug consignment in question was sent to India by Afghanistan-based co-accused Nazir Ahmed Qani, a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif, on the directions of Shahid Ahmed.
The same was supposed to be delivered to the accused Razi Haider Zaidi in India, for distribution in various parts of the country for monetary gains.
The NIA had, on December 16 last year, filed a chargesheet against four accused, Shahid Ahmed aias Qazi Abdul Wadood, Nazir Ahmed Qani, Razi Haider Zaidi and Vipin Mittal, in the case. While Mittal and Zaidi, both residents of Delhi, were arrested in August 2022, Shahid and Nazir, who are based out of India, have been declared absconding in the case. (ANI)
