The National Investigation Agency has arrested Amritpal Singh, a key conduit for drug money circulation. Singh, who is from Tarn Taran, Punjab, was detained at Amritsar International Airport while trying to flee to Dubai. He is the third person to be arrested in the case relating to the seizure of 102 kg of heroin worth Rs 700 crore in April 2022. Investigations have revealed that Singh was involved in the larger conspiracy of a global drug cartel and was responsible for laundering drug proceeds through banking and hawala channels.
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency has arrested a key conduit for circulation of drug money in a case relating to the April
2022
seizure of 102 kg of heroin, valued at Rs 700 crore, during an immigration check at Attari, Punjab.
Amritpal Singh, an absconding accused in the case, was detained on December 12, 2023, by immigration officers at Amritsar International Airport while trying to flee to Dubai.
A lookout circular was issued against Singh on December 7 on
NIA
’s request, based on which he was identified and detained.
The accused, a resident of district Tarn Taran, Punjab, was taken into custody by the NIA on Friday. He is the third person to be arrested in the case. Investigations have revealed him to be the handler of cash and launderer of drug proceeds through banking and hawala channels.
The 102 kg heroin seizures were made in two instalments, on April 24 and 26 last year, by the Indian Customs when the drugs arrived in the country from Afghanistan via ICP Attari, Amritsar. The drugs had been concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (Mulethi).
NIA said 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 him with the bank accounts of the other accused.
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, he was the conduit for circulation of drug money to various distributors in India as well as the main accused settled abroad. Amritpal 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, 2023, conducted searches at Amritpal’s residential and official premises, which led to the recovery of cash worth Rs 1,34,12,000, as proceeds of narcotics. It was found that Amritpal had, at the behest of Dubai-based absconding accused
Shahid
Ahmed @ 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.
As per NIA, the drug consignment seized in Attari 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 accused Razi Haider Zaidi in India, for distribution in various parts of the country for monetary gains.
NIA had, on December 16 last year, filed a chargesheet in the case naming Shahid, Nazir Ahmed Qani, Razi Haider Zaidi and Vipin Mittal. While Mittal and Zaidi, both residents of Delhi, were arrested in August 2022, Shahid and Nazir, who are based out of India, are absconding in the case.
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