In a significant move, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken firm action to freeze assets valued at Rs 1,34,12,000 on November 8. The funds are identified as 'illegally acquired property' allegedly belonging to Amritpal Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district in Punjab.
The case is rooted in the recovery and seizure of 102.784 kg of heroin, valued at approximately Rs 700 crores, on April 24, 2022, and April 26, 2022, by Indian Customs. The contraband, originating from Afghanistan, entered India through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, Amritsar, on April 22, 2022. The illicit heroin was cleverly concealed within a shipment of Licorice roots (Mulethi).
The decisive measures by the NIA are part of ongoing efforts to combat illicit activities and dismantle networks involved in drug trafficking.
The NIA revealed that the frozen funds were identified as "illegally acquired property" and considered "proceeds of drugs." The investigation uncovered Singh's orchestration of fund transfers from 2019 to 2021, involving bank accounts and clandestine hawala transactions.
The cash has been frozen under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The case, initially handled by the customs department, was later taken over by the NIA, exposing a complex smuggling network orchestrated by Dubai-based absconding accused Shahid Ahmed.
The consignment of heroin from Afghanistan, ingeniously concealed in licorice roots, was intended for distribution across India, aiming for substantial monetary gains. The NIA had filed a charge sheet last December against four accused individuals - Shahid Ahmed, Nazir Ahmed Qani, Razi Haider Zaidi, and Vipin Mittal.
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