New Delhi, Oct 7 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge sheeted another eight accused persons in the 2020 transnational narco-terror network case involving smuggling of drugs from Pakistan through sea route into India via Gujarat, the agency said on Tuesday.
The drugs were aimed at financing the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit.
In the eight supplementary chargesheet filed in the Salaya drugs case RC-26/2020/NIA/DLI, NIA has conclusively established the narco-terror conspiracy, masterminded by Italy-based Simranjit Singh Sandhu, Australia-based Tanveer Bedi and India-based Ankush Kapoor.
“The charge sheet has been filed under various provisions of the NDPS Act and UA (P) Act before the NIA Special Court, Ahmedabad, based on extensive digital, technical, and documentary evidence,” the agency said in its press note.
Besides Simranjit Singh, Tanveer Singh Bedi and Ankush Kapoor, other accused persons named in the chargesheet are Pakistani national Tariq alias Bhaijaan, Gagandeep Singh Arora and three other accused persons - Tamanna Gupta, Sukhbir Singh alias Happy and Anwar Masih.
The case relates to the smuggling of 500 kilograms of heroin from Pakistan into Gujarat via the sea route and further transportation to Punjab.
The proceeds from the sale of the drugs were used to fund the activities of LeT, the proscribed terrorist organisation.
“NIA’s investigations have revealed that the narco-terror conspiracy was spread across many Indian states, including Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh, with a footprint spanning several countries, including Italy, Australia, UAE, Pakistan, Iran and Thailand,” the NIA said.
As per the investigations, Ankush Kapoor was a key mastermind in India and was responsible for managing the on-ground activities of the narco-terror syndicate in Punjab.
“He coordinated logistics, storage and local distribution of the contraband, and actively facilitated funding to accused persons based both in India and abroad. Simranjit was the mastermind of the narco terror syndicate and responsible for organising the illegal transportation, storage, processing of the illegal drugs and the terror funding,” it said.
The investigations further revealed that Tariq alias Bhaijaan played a pivotal role in coordinating the smuggling of heroin through sea route from Pakistan to India, overseeing its transportation, facilitating its distribution in Punjab, and channelising the proceeds for financing LeT operatives.
Tanveer Bedi, the Australia-based wanted accused, was actively involved in both the smuggling and transfer of drug proceeds through international hawala channels to fund LeT's terror activities in India.
“The other accused, Tamanna, Sukhbir Singh, and Anwar Masih have been charged for their deliberate roles in the terror funding conspiracy,” it said.
Further, one Gagandeep Singh Arora, a hawala operator who is currently absconding, has been charge sheeted for facilitating money laundering of huge amounts and illegal fund transfers to terror operatives.
The ATS Gujarat had filed the original charge sheet, and the NIA had filed seven supplementary charge sheets earlier.
Notably, a total of 26 accused have been arrested in the case so far, while eight accused persons are absconding.
NIA is continuing with its investigation to track the absconders and destroy the syndicate as part of its efforts to eliminate the nexus between narcotics trafficking and terrorism.
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