NIA likely to become 4th federal agency to join Sushant Singh death probe

New Delhi, Sep 23: With the ambit of the probe into the death of actor, Sushant Singh Rajput expanding and national security issues emerging, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to join the investigation.

A notification has been issued stating that the Centre after consulting with the states invests the official of and above the rank of the inspectors in the NIA to exercise the powers and perform duties according to section 53 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985.

If the NIA joins the probe, it would be the fourth federal agency to do so after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The NIA which was formed after 2008, Mumbai 26/11 attacks specifically focuses on terror and counterfeit notes related cases. Last year an amendment to the NIA act also gave it the jurisdiction to probe cases relating to human trafficking and cyber terrorism.

The order now signed by under secretary in the ministry of finance's revenue department, Biswajit Sarkar gives the NIA the jurisdiction to probe cases relating to narcotics as well.

A case relating to narcotics has a wider ambit considering the International ramifications.

This comes in the wake of several A-listers from Bollywood have come under the scanner of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is investigating the drug angle in film actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

The NCB has sought the help of agencies from various countries to find out more about the drug flow into India and particularly Mumbai. Sources tell OneIndia that apart from gathering evidence on those who consume hard drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, it is also important to unearth the supply chain.

In 2019, the NCB had registered a case based on a report filed in Australia about the flow of drugs. It was found that 300 kilograms of cocaine had landed in Mumbai in 2018. This came to light when a probe in Australia was launched to investigate the seizure of 55 kilograms of cocaine in the country. It was found that in all, 1, kilograms 200 of cocaine had landed in India of which 300 kgs reached Mumbai alone.

The NCB has sought the help of agencies in Canada, Australia, US and UK in a bid to unearth the supply chain. Many actors from the industry are on the radar of the agency.

However the NCB would dig deeper to unearth the complete supply chain which would begin with the supplier, peddler and up to the consumer.

The NCB would also summon a person from Punjab and this would help the agency detail the supply chain. Investigations in the past have shown that a majority of cocaine lands in India through the Columbia-Mozambique route. In the case of heroin, smugglers have used the Punjab route from Pakistan. They have also used the sea route from Gujarat.

It is a well known fact that Pakistan has always used drug money to fund terror. The ISI has for long used the D-Syndicate to carry out the drug trade. This syndicate is very familiar with the terrain as a result of which they are able to push the drugs into India easily. Further the D-Syndicate has been told to cough up 30 per cent of its earnings from drug money to the ISI and this in turn is used to fund terror.