By IANS
New Delhi : Two Afghan nationals of Indian origin have been arrested here along with four associates on charges of smuggling a psychotropic substance used in preparing heroin, police said Saturday.
“Satpal, Amarjeet Singh – both Afghan nationals – and others identified as Rabia Begum, her husband Kalim Akhtar, Sampat and Raju were arrested for smuggling 200 litres of Acetic Anhydride out of India,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest Delhi) Shalini Singh.
She said information was received that Rabia Begum, who supplies the controlled drug, Acetic Anhydride, to an international drug cartel, would be coming from Jaipur to Delhi Feb 19 along with her husband Akhtar and Amarjeet Singh using National Highway 8.
According to police, their Toyota Qualis car was intercepted near the Delhi-Gurgaon border and they were arrested. A plastic cane carrying 50 litres of Acetic Anhydride was recovered from them.
“Rabia Begum, in her interrogation, disclosed that she supplied the substance to Amarjeet Singh, who used to send this to Afghanistan through one Satpal. She was procuring the material from Raju through a person named Sampat,” she said.
“While Amarjeet Singh disclosed that he supplies the substance to one Haji Nonu in Afghanistan through Satpal, who receives the money through Hawala from one Santokh Singh, who is based in Afghanistan and runs a shop at Delhi’s Chandni Chowk,” she added.
Police said Satpal and Raju were subsequently apprehended and interrogated.
During interrogation they also admitted their involvements in the transaction and 150 litres of Acetic Anhydride was recovered from Satpal’s vehicle. The material was to be sent to Afghanistan.
“Satpal’s passport showed he had visited Afghanistan eight times since August last year. But it was not immediately clear that he carried the substance with him or not during these visits,” Singh said.
On Wednesday, custom officials had arrested three Afghan siblings, including two burqa-clad women, at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle fine-quality heroin worth Rs.100 million in the international market in India.
Officials said five kg of fine quality heroin concealed in the waist belts of the women was recovered from them.