In a major breakthrough in the Attari border narcotics smuggling and seizure case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key accused involved in receiving the proceeds of drugs and channelising the same to the foreign-based absconding masterminds, the agency said on Tuesday.
Tahseem alias Mota, a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, is the seventh accused to be arrested in the case, pertaining to the recovery and seizure of 102.784 kgs of heroin (narcotics substance), valued at approximately Rs 700 crores.
The drugs were seized by the Indian Customs Department on two occasions in April 2022, after they were smuggled into India from Afghanistan through ICP Attari in Amritsar. The drugs were concealed in a consignment of Licorice roots (Mulethi).
Tahseem, a habitual offender, has been found to have received multiple cash deposits in his account from Punjab, said the NIA.
Financial investigations and examination of several associates of the accused persons by NIA has revealed that the funds received by Tahseem were proceeds of drug sales who were also the key operative in the larger conspiracy hatched by the international drug cartel to circulate drugs to various distributors in India.
Earlier on December 16, 2022, the NIA chargesheeted four persons, namely 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 currently absconding. Razi Haider and Vipin Mittal were arrested earlier in the case, followed by the arrest of another accused, Amritpal Singh, who was caught on December 15, 2023, while trying to flee the country.
Proceeds of narcotics amounting to Rs 1.34 crores were recovered from Amritpal Singh and frozen under relevant legal provisions, added the NIA
