NIA arrests 2 key accused in 102kg Attari heroin haul case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested two more key operatives in the Attari drug seizure case involving the recovery and seizure of a 102 kg of heroin smuggled into the country concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (mulethi) in April 2022

Chandigarh : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested two more key operatives in the Attari drug seizure case involving the recovery and seizure of a 102 kg of heroin smuggled into the country concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (mulethi) in April 2022.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested two more key operatives in the Attari drug seizure case involving the recovery and seizure of a 102 kg of heroin smuggled into the country concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (mulethi) in April 2022.

The arrested accused have been identified as Deepak Khurana, alias Deepu, of Ferozepur and Avtar Singh, alias Sunny, of Jamia Nagar, Delhi. With this, five accused have been arrested in the case so far.

Financial investigations and the examination of the associates of the accused have revealed that Deepak Khurana was not only a drug dealer and drug quality tester but also a handler of ‘proceeds of drugs’, the NIA said in a statement. Avtar was involved in distribution of drugs, handling of cash and laundering the drug proceeds through, the statement read.

Both the accused have been identified as long-term associates of the prime accused, Razi Haider Zaidi and Shahid Ahmed, alias Qazi Abdul Wadood. NIA investigations show that Deepak and Avtar are key operatives in the larger conspiracy hatched by the international drug cartel for supply of drugs to various distributors in India and channelling of the proceeds of the drugs to main foreign-based accused persons.

The drug seizures in this case were made in two instalments, on April 24 and 26, 2022, by the customs department when the narcotics arrived in the country from Afghanistan via the Attari integrated check post, Amritsar.

According to NIA investigations, the consignment was sent to India by absconding accused Nazir Ahmed Qani, a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan, on the directions of Dubai-based absconding accused Shahid Ahmed, alias Qazi Abdul Wadood, and was meant to be delivered to Razi Haider Zaidi in India, for further distribution in various parts of the country.

The NIA had on December 16, 2022, filed a chargesheet against Shahid Ahmed and Nazir Ahmed Qani, along with two others, identified as Razi Haider Zaidi and Vipin Mittal. Razi and Vipin were arrested earlier in the case. Another, Amritpal Singh, was arrested on December 15, 2023, while attempting to flee the country. He was arrested after proceeds of narcotics amounting to ₹1.34 crore were recovered from him and were frozen under relevant legal provisions, the NIA statement said.