532-kg heroin haul: ‘Kingpin’ hatched conspiracy with ramifications for national security, says NIA

Both Cheeta and Gagan were in the custody of Punjab Police till May 14 but the case was transferred to the NIA and the accused were produced in the court through the video conferencing.

The NIA submitted in the court that to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched by the accused, terrorist-drug peddlers nexus and to ascertain the details of money trail and funding, police custody of these accused was required. The NIA further told the court that this case has larger ramifications for the national security of the country.

The court observed, “Accusation against the accused appears to be well founded. So accordingly for facilitation of investigation the accused are remanded to police custody till May 29.”

The Enforcement Directorate had unearthed one of country’s biggest drug smuggling racket in June last year after it discovered 532 kg heroin concealed in rock salt at International Border in Amritsar. One of the accused main accused Gurpinder Singh died under mysterious circumstances in an Amritsar jail in July last year.