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NIA chargesheets 7 more in 2022 Attari drug haul case
In the supplementary chargesheet filed under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the NIA identified the seven accused -- Athar Saeed, Amritpal Singh, Avtar Singh, Harwinder Singh, Tahseem, Deepak Khurana and Ahmad Farid, to be key operatives of an international syndicate who were involved in smuggling drugs into India and circulating it across the country.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted seven more accused in the Attari drug haul case, in which over 100 kg heroin, was seized from Intergrated Check Post in April 2022.
In the supplementary chargesheet filed under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the NIA identified the seven accused -- Athar Saeed, Amritpal Singh, Avtar Singh, Harwinder Singh, Tahseem, Deepak Khurana and Ahmad Farid, to be key operatives of an international syndicate who were involved in smuggling drugs into India and circulating it across the country.
They were also involved in channelising the proceeds of the crime to the main accused based abroad, the NIA stated in the court of ASJ/special judge/NDPS, Patiala House Court, New Delhi.
The investigating agency had ealier chargesheeted four other accused in the case.
Drugs smuggled in by Afghan national
In April 2022, the Indian customs department had seized 102.78kg heroin in two instalments at ICP Attari, Amritsar. The drugs were concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (Mulethi). It had been smuggled into the country by Afghanistan-based Nazir Ahmed Qani on the directions of Dubai-based accused Shahid Ahmed alias Qazi Abdul Wadood, as per the NIA investigations. The consignment was meant to be delivered to accused Razi Haider Zaidi for distribution in various parts of the country.
The NIA had in December 2022 chargesheeted all three, along with one Vipin Mittal. Mittal and Razi were initially arrested in the case, and in December 2023, NIA also arrested another accused, Amritpal Singh, after recovering the proceeds of the crime, amounting to ₹1.34 crore, from him. Amritpal was nabbed while attempting to flee the country.
