532KG HEROIN HAUL AT ICP: 11 NAMED IN NIA CHARGESHEET
PROBE 11 named as accused of whom 6 are absconding; case against 4 firms too
MOHALI: The National Investigation Agency on Friday filed a chargesheet before a special court here against 11 accused, including six absconders, in the case relating to seizure of 532 kg heroin at the Integrated Check Post in Attari. The chargesheet has been filed against Tariq Ahmad Lone, Jasbir Singh, Nirbhail Singh, Sandeep Kaur, Ajay Gupta, Ranjit Singh, Iqbal Singh, Farookh Lone, Sahil, Shoaib Noor, and Amir Noor under various sections of IPC, NDPS Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
CHARGESHEET SAYS A VAST NETWORK USED TO SMUGGLE NARCOTICS INTO INDIA THROUGH LEGITIMATE TRADE ROUTE IN THE GARB OF IMPORT OF ROCK SALT
MOHALI: :The National Investigation Agency (NIA)’s chargesheet in the seizure of 532-kg heroin at the Integrated Check Post at the Attari-Wagah border in June this year says it was a case of narco-terrorism.
The charge-sheet filed on Friday before a designated NIA court names 11 accused that includes six are absconding. Four companies are also named in the case. “This is a case of narco-terrorism, having national and international implications with evidence of generation of funds through the proceeds of sale of narcotics smuggled across the international border,” the charge-sheet adds.
Those named are Tariq Ahmad Lone of Handwara in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir; Jasbir Singh; Nirbhail Singh; Sandeep Kaur; salt trader Ajay Gupta; Ranjit Singh; Iqbal Singh Rana; Farookh Lone; Sahil; Shoaib Noor and Amir Noor.
The companies mentioned in the charge-sheet are Kanishk Enterprises Pvt Ltd; Gupta Fast Forwarders Pvt Ltd, Global Vision Impex and Aimex General
Trading Company.
The charge-sheet adds that the involvement of an international drug racket based in Pakistan, and Afghanistan, has come to light. “A vast network of Hawala and other informal channels has been used to smuggle narcotics into India through the legitimate trade route between India and Pakistan in the garb of import of rock salt,” investigation has found, the charge-sheet mentions.
On June 29 this year, 532-kg of heroin and 52-kg of mixed narcotics were seized at the ICP. An Amritsar-based trader Gurpinder Singh and Lone, of Handwara, were intercepted. The charge-sheet adds that investigation established that the accused had formed a terror group to smuggle consignment of narcotics to India. During investigation, searches were conducted across Punjab and incriminating documents such as bank account details, electronic and digital devices, ammunitions and details of Hawala transactions were seized.
The court, however, has granted bail to salt trader, Ajay Gupta. The main accused in the case, Gurpinder Singh, 29, who owned Kanishk Enterprises, an import export firm in Amritsar, died in mysterious circumstances in judicial custody on July 21.
It was after this, that the NIA was handed over the investigation. In addition to Gurpinder and Lone, truck owner Jasbir Singh and traders Ajay Gupta and Sandeep Kaur were also arrested. At the time of the arrests, the Customs had said that Jasbir was to deliver the contraband to Ranjit Singh Rana, the kingpin of the racket, who is absconding.