Gunny bags filled with more than 500 kg narcotics, mostly heroin, brought to be produced before a court in Amritsar. (AP Photo)The biggest ever drug haul at Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP) has put the spotlight on the ever changing modus operandi adopted by Pakistan-based smugglers and their counterparts this side of the border to push narcotics in India.
Punjab, which has been waging a war against drugs, was rattled Sunday after Amritsar Customs Department seized 532 kg of suspected heroin another 52 kg of suspected mixed narcotics worth over Rs 2,700 crore from a truck entering India from Pakistan through the trade route at the Attari border.
The consignment was concealed in hundreds of bags in rock salt laden in the truck, which arrived at Attari from Pakistan through the ICP. The Amritsar-based importer of the rock salt consignment and a Kashmir-based salt trader were arrested.
WHY THE ATTAR ICP ROUTE?
A senior government functionary said that closing down of the barter trade at Poonch-Chakkan da Bagh and Uri-Salamabad Line of Control (LoC) may have pushed the smugglers to take the Attari ICP route to push the narcotics’ consignment.
The enhanced surveillance by the Border Security Force could be another reason for the smugglers to try other modus operandi, the functionary said. So far this year, the BSF has seized 77 kg heroin. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, BSF had seized 230 kg, 279 kg and 230 kg of heroin, respectively. Smugglers have had in the past took to different ways to push drugs into India, including through pipes at the barbed fencing, throwing the packets over the fence, and even sending it with cement bags in the Samjhauta Express – that train that connects the two countries.
The barter trade at two places on LoC was suspended by the Centre on April 19. While suspending the LoC trade, Centre had pointed out that it had “been receiving reports that the cross-LoC trade routes are being misused by Pakistan-based elements for funneling illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency etc”.
Based on Barter system and zero duty basis, the trade used to take place for four days in a week.
While suspending the trade at the two points, the Centre had noted that “unscrupulous and anti-national elements are using the route as a conduit for Hawala money, drugs and weapons, under the garb of this trade. During the ongoing investigations of certain cases by the NIA, it has been brought out that a significant number of trading concerns engaged in LoC trade are being operated by persons closely associated with banned terrorist organizations involved in fuelling terrorism/separatism. Investigations have further revealed that some individuals, who have crossed over to Pakistan, and joined militant organizations have opened trading firms in Pakistan. These trading firms are under the control of militant organizations and are engaged in LoC trade.”
SEVERAL QUESTIONS, NOT MANY ANSWERS
An official said Tarik Ahmad Lone, the salt trader from Jammu and Kashmir and the alleged mastermind behind the smuggling bid, was running the racket along with “one of his cousins who is based in Lahore”.
The Export Import Code Number allotted to Amritsar-based importer Gurpinder Singh was used for the the consignment of rock salt that was being imported from Pakistan.
Pakistan-based firm Global Vision Impex, whoich had sent the consignment into India for Kanishk Enterprise ASR owned by Gurpinder, is linked to Lone’s cousin.
A Customs House Agent (CHA) told that “holder of EICN sometimes loans it out to other traders for imports in lieu of some money.”
However, Gurpinder’s role is under scanner because prior to getting the EICN in November last month, he worked with a CHA and knew the “ins and outs of the trade”.
The functionary said that complicity of Pakistan’s ISI to push the consignment into India cannot be ruled as it went undetected through two scanners on that country’s side.
After the recovery, there is a renewed call from the leading traders for stringent technology based checks at the ICP even as Full Body Truck Scanner project continues to be a work in progress with formalities due.
“More technology-based checks and balances should be in place. There should be full body scanners and bag scanners to help customs authorities impose more stringent checks. If more equipment is provided, it will improve the efficiency of the Customs, which is manually performing its job and making the recoveries,” said Amritsar-based leading importer Pardeep Sehgal.
Gunbir Singh of Amritsar-based Dilbir Foundation said, “The heroin haul is creditable, but it may be the tip of an iceberg. It merits setting up of modern equipment and layered system of counter checks on the Wagah Attari axis. We have already lost a generation of youth in Punjab to this menace”.
SAFETY MEASURE STUCK IN PIPELINE
In a written reply to a question by BJP MP Shwait Malik in the Rajya Sabha on March 22, 2017, then Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju had said, “The Government is procuring five Full Body Truck Scanners (FBTS) for five locations including the ICP at Attari, Amristar in accordance with the laid down procedure. The other four locations are Petrapole (Indo-Bangladesh Border), Raxaul (Indo-Nepal Border), Poonch-Chakkanda-bagh (Indo-Pak Border) and Uri-Salamabad (Indo-Pak Border). The Government has issued a Global Tender Enquiry for procurement of five numbers of FBTS. It is also obtaining various clearances from the respective state governments and other nodal agencies. The other details cannot be revealed in view of the national security and commercial confidence.”
Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) manager at Attari ICP Sukhdev Singh said, “The project is almost complete and awaiting Site Acceptance Test (SAT) by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre before it is operationalised”.
Singh, however, said he had no idea when the SAT would be performed. “Earlier, Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) was conducted at Gwalior. We have even done a trial, but project will be operational only after SAT in which any leakage of harmful rays would be among the things which are to be tested,” said Singh.
ROUTE MAY BE USED AGAIN: STF CHIEF
Meanwhile, Punjab’s anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) Gurpreet Kaur Deo Monday asked all enforcement agencies to be extremely alert in border districts. “The seizure of heroin brings to the fore the fact that drug peddlers in Pakistan are active and are desperately trying to push heroin into India. All (enforcement) agencies need to be more alert,” she said, expressing fears that this route could again be used by drug smugglers across the border to push narcotics into India.
Deo said the seizure of huge consignment of narcotics showed easy availability of sufficient heroin in the ‘Golden Crescent’ comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, from where smugglers were desperately trying to push drugs into India.
The STF chief, however, claimed that drug supplies to Punjab have shrunk to a large extent due to heavy deployment of the BSF at the Indo-Pak border and the crackdown on drug smugglers and peddlers by state police. She said the local team of anti-drug force was maintaining liaison with the Customs Department in Amritsar for more information about those who brought consignment to India.
In a bid to ensure tighter policing over the drug menace, the STF has also decided to appoint senior officers of the rank of deputy superintendent of police to head anti-narcotics cells in each district of the state. “Our focussed attention will be on border districts including Gurdaspur and Amritsar,” she said.
After coming to power in Punjab after 2017 assembly polls, the Amarinder Singh government had set up STF to curb the drug menace in the state.
