NIA arrests key accused in 2022 Attari border narcotics haul case

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the key accused in the 2022 Attari border narcotics haul case, an official statement issued on Tuesday said.

The key accused, Tahseem alias Mota son of Nafees Ahmad, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Shamli, is the seventh person to be arrested in the case, the statement issued by the NIA said.

Around 103 kg of heroin, valued at approximately Rs 700 crore, was seized by the Customs department in April 2022 after it was smuggled into India from Afghanistan through the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, Amritsar.

The drugs were concealed in a consignment of liquorice roots (mulethi), according to the NIA.

'In a major breakthrough in the Attari border narcotics smuggling and seizure case, the NIA has arrested another key accused, involved in receiving the proceeds of drugs and channelising the same to the foreign-based absconding masterminds,' the statement said.

Tahseem, a habitual offender, has been found to have received multiple cash deposits in his account from Punjab, it said.

"Financial investigations and examination of several associates of the accused persons by NIA have revealed that the funds received by Tahseem were proceeds of drug sales... (he) was also the key operative in the larger conspiracy hatched by the international drug cartel to circulate drugs to various distributors in India," it added.

The NIA had on December 16, 2022, charge-sheeted four people -- Dubai-based Shahid Ahmed alias Qazi Abdul Wadood, Nazir Ahmed Qani, Razi Haider Zaidi and Vipin Mittal -- in the case.

Shahid Ahmed and Nazir Ahmed Qani are absconding, the NIA said.

Razi Haider and Vipin Mittal were arrested in the case earlier, followed by the arrest of another accused, Amritpal Singh, while he was trying to flee the country on December 15, 2023.

Proceeds of narcotics amounting to Rs 1.34 crore were recovered from Amritpal Singh and frozen under relevant legal provisions, according to the NIA.

The agency had on April 9 said that it had arrested another accused, Harwinder Singh alias Soshi Pannu, a resident of Naushehra Pannuan in Punjab's Tarn Taran, in the case.