The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued orders directing the NIA (National Investigation Agency) to take over the probe into the ₹2,700-crore Punjab drug haul case, whose prime suspect died under mysterious circumstances at the Amritsar Central Jail this week.
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In the order, the MHA said this was a case of “narco-terrorism” and involvement of international drug racket in Pakistan and Afghanistan had come to light.
The Hindu had reported that the case was likely to be handed over to NIA after the death.
“This is a case of narco-terrorism, having national and international implications that requires in-depth investigation as to the funding of different terror groups through the proceeds of the narco consignment being smuggled from across the international border which needs to be investigated to unearth international narco-terror link, thereby pre-empting various terror modules operating to spread terror in the Indian hinterland,” the MHA order accessed by
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The Central government, the order said, was of the opinion that a “scheduled offence” under the NIA Act, 2008, had been committed and having regard to the gravity of the offence and its national and international ramifications, it was required to be investigated by the NIA.
The case was registered by the Customs and the Punjab police were also conducting a parallel investigation in the case.
Singh, a rock salt trader, and Tariq Ahmad Lone, also a trader from Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir were arrested on June 29 by the Customs for allegedly smuggling narcotics in a truck through the integrated check-post at the Attari border from Pakistan. The drugs came to light during a raid by the Amritsar-based Customs Preventive Commissionerate, which then seized 532 kg of suspected heroin. Singh was a crucial link to establish the drug chain as it was on a licence held by his company, Kanishka Enterprises, that the drugs were smuggled in.