New Delhi, Dec 16 : In a major breakthrough in the 2022 Attari border heroin seizure case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday said that it has arrested a key absconding accused, Amritpal Singh, who is also the handler of the cash and launderer of drug proceeds through banking and hawala channels.

Amritpal Singh, an absconding accused in the case, was detained on December 12, 2023, by immigration officers at Amritsar International Airport while trying to flee to Dubai.

A lookout circular was issued against Singh on December 7 onNIA’s request, based on which he was identified and detained.

The accused, a resident of district Tarn Taran, Punjab, was taken into custody by the NIA on Friday. He is the third person to be arrested in the case. Investigations have revealed him to be the handler of cash and launderer of drug proceeds through banking and hawala channels.

The 102 kg heroin seizures were made in two instalments, on April 24 and 26 last year, by the Indian Customs when the drugs arrived in the country from Afghanistan via ICP Attari, Amritsar. The drugs had been concealed in a consignment of licorice roots (Mulethi).