NIA chargesheets 8 in narco-terror case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted another eight accused in the 2020 transnational narco-terror case involving smuggling of drugs from Pakistan into India through the sea route along the Gujarat coast.

The case relates to smuggling of 500 kg of heroin from Pakistan into Gujarat and its further transportation to Punjab. The drug business was intended to finance the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

A total of 26 accused have been arrested in the case so far while eight others are absconding. In the eighth supplementary chargesheet, which was filed before the NIA court in Ahmedabad, the NIA claimed to have established the narco-terror conspiracy that was allegedly masterminded by Italy-based Simranjit Singh Sandhu, Australia-based Tanveer Bedi and Ankush Kapoor in India.

Other accused mentioned in the chargesheet are Pakistani national Tariq, alias Bhaijaan; hawala operator Gagandeep Singh Arora, Tamanna Gupta, Sukhbir Singh, alias Happy, and Anwar Masih.

The NIA said the narco-terror conspiracy was spread across various states, including Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh, with a footprint spanning several countries, including Italy, Australia, UAE, Pakistan, Iran and Thailand.

As per the investigations, Ankush was allegedly the India mastermind and responsible for managing the on-ground activities of the narco-terror syndicate in Punjab. He allegedly coordinated logistics, storage and local distribution of the contraband, and facilitated funding of the accused in India and abroad.

The NIA said Simranjit allegedly managed the transportation, storage and processing of the drugs and terror funding while Tariq coordinated the smuggling of heroin through the sea route and its further transportation to Punjab. Tanveer was allegedly involved in both smuggling and transfer of drug proceeds through hawala channels to fund the LeT's terror activities in India.