New Delhi, Jun 24 (IANS): The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday claimed to have busted an international drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a wanted drug smuggler linked to a Pakistan Lahore-based operative in connection with the recovery of 56 kg of heroin from the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, officials said.

NCB Deputy Director KPS Malhotra said, "We have arrested most wanted offender Jasbir Singh aka Momi at Hoshiarpur in Punjab with technical and human intelligence."

Malhotra said that the case relates to the seizure of 56.501 kg of heroin at the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan by the Border Security Force (BSF) on June 3 this year.

He said that this was one of the biggest drug hauls in the recent past in Rajasthan.

The NCB Deputy Director said that the drug was infiltrated into India via PVC plastic pipes.

He added that the case was transferred to the drug law enforcement agency.

Sharing the details of the drug syndicate, Malhotra said, "The suspected supplier of the seized heroin is Malik Choudhary, a resident of Lahore."

He said that the NCB took the case which had interstate as well as international ramifications on priority.

Malhotra added that on June 4 with the co-operation of the local police, BSF and local villagers, two out of the four accused who came to receive the contraband namely Rupa, a resident of Ferozepur in Punjab and Harmesh Singh a resident of Fazilka, were arrested.

During investigation, the role of Jasbir Singh, along with his associate Harmesh aka Kali a resident of Ferozepur came to the fore.

It was also alleged that they had fled from the spot. He said that Jasbir Singh and Harmesh are habitual offenders under the NDPS Act, and are also wanted in cases of murder, Excise Act, Arms Act and Jail Manual Act and were absconding since 2019.

Malhotra said, "During investigation, NCB arrested three more accused -- Rajvinder Singh, Sukhpreet Singh, and Sunil Singh all residents of Rajasthan's Ganganagar for harbouring the prime accused and conducting recce of the border for smuggling of heroin."

He said that during their questioning they came across the photograph of Jasbir Singh.

"During surveillance, it came to notice that he along with his family had fled from his village immediately after the seizure. Thus active surveillance was mounted for 15 days and a specific information about his return in the night was received," he said.

Malhotra said that Jasbir Singh was arrested after a brief chase.

He pointed out that this is the sixth and most vital of all the arrests made so far in the case.

Further investigation in the case is progress to break the nexus of the drug syndicate operating internationally and uncovering all backward and forward linkages, the NCB Deputy Director added.