In its biggest ever narcotics haul, the Customs Department seized 532 kg of suspected heroin worth Rs 2,700 crore, which was smuggled into India from Pakistan in a truck through trade route at the Attari border, officials said Sunday.
An official said the smuggling racket’s alleged mastermind,based in Kashmir, has been arrested and the importer of the rock saltconsignment, who is based in Amritsar, has been detained for questioning. Theconsignment of heroin and another 52 kg of suspected mixed narcotics wasconcealed under hundreds of bags of rock salt inside the truck which arrived atAttari through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) two days ago, Customs (Preventive)Commissioner Deepak Kumar Gupta said.
“In a major breakthrough in busting the internationalorganised drug smuggling, the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, Amritsar hasseized 532 kg of suspected heroin and 52 kg of suspected mixed narcotics in theimport consignment at ICP, Attari,” he said.
“This is the biggest ever achievement in annals of theIndian Customs history,” he told a press conference here.
Tariq Ahmed, the mastermind of the organised smugglingracket based in Handwara, Kashmir, has been arrested with the help of J&Kpolice, Gupta said, adding that further investigations is underway.
“We are also questioning the importer of the consignment ofrock salt,” he said.
The import consignment from Pakistan had arrived here twodays ago and the truck driver had returned after unloading it. Before clearinga consignment, the Customs Department carries out its detailed checking andexamination.”The value of heroin in the international marketis approximately Rs 2,700 crore,” he said.