Jalandhar, April 5 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ludhiana-based drug lord Akshay Chhabra, who was lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, for further investigation into the money trail involving cross-border drug smuggling racket.

The federal agency took him into its custody till April 7 based on an investigation being carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In November 2022, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Chhabra along with two Afghan nationals for allegedly smuggling 2,000kg heroin into Punjab in connivance with Dubai-based drug smuggler Haji Yusuf.

The NCB had on August 17 detained two smugglers -Chhabra and Jaspal Singh, alias Goldy - lodged in Bathinda jail under the Prevention of...