Attari heroin haul: Two sent to judicial custody for 2 weeks

AMRITSAR: Rock salt importer Gurpinder Singh and Jammu and Kashmir resident Tariq Ahmad Lone were sent to judicial custody till July 14 by a local court here.
Both of the accused were arrested by customs officials for smuggling of 532kg heroin, along with 52kg of suspected narcotics valued around Rs 2,600 crore in the international market, from Pakistan through Integrated Check Post (ICP).
Gupinder is a Hussainpura-based importer in Amritsar and Lone is resident of Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said both the customs and police officials were investigating the role of politicians who could be behind the smuggling of narcotics through the check post.
"This is not five or 10kg heroin, but over five quintals and can't be smuggled without links with higher-ups," said an officer conducting investigations.
The sources added that the customs officials at ICP had detained as many as eight trucks which had arrived from across the border on suspicion. No further details could be obtained about these trucks.
Despite several attempts, Amritsar customs commissioner Deepak Kumar Gupta was unavailable for comment.