A customs official posted at Attari has been arrested with 10kg heroin, said to be of worth Rs 50 crores in the international market, by Jalandhar (Rural) Police while he was carrying the consignment in his car on National highway 1. An illegal .9 mm pistol has also been recovered from him.

Jalandhar SSP Yurinder Singh Hayer said that they had received a tip off that the contraband was being carried in a vehicle, number of which they had, from national highway. A special naka was laid at Kartarpur on NH and the operation was monitored by SP (D) Rajinder Singh.

He said that when the vehicle was searched the drug was found concealed under the front seat. When questioned by the police the man driving the car was identified as Central Excise and Customs Superintendent Gurdev Singh, resident of Amritsar, who originally hailed from Patti. Apart from the revolver cash worth Rs 17,000 was also recovered from him.

Hayer said that the accused official was posted at Attari Railway Station these days and he had his earlier posting in the Anti smuggling wing of the Customs department. His earlier postings were at Wagah and Ludhiana also.

"He had come close to some smugglers while he was supposed to prevent it and became courier for them," Hayer said. During his initial questioning he revealed that some time back he had carried a consignment of 9 Kg Heroin to Ludhiana. He also said that he would receive Rs 50,000 per Kg and he considered that his credentials as a Customs officer would help him to pass through any Police naka.

He also told his interrogators that this consignment was also meant for delivery at Ludhiana. "During his preliminary questioning he had revealed that he was working only as a courier and details of the network would be ferreted out during the interrogation during police remand of three days," Hayer said.

Asked about involvement of any other official of the department, Hayer said that they would investigate it from all angles.