Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the government has secured the deportation of Navpreet Singh, described as a "hardened" narco-trafficking kingpin, from Turkiye, and that he has been brought back to India and put behind bars in connection with alleged drug trafficking and other criminal cases.
In a post on X, Shah said Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk and had continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into India. Indian agencies, he said, had "tracked him down, ripping apart veil after veil to unmask his true identity, and secured his deportation."
**"Historic milestone", says Shah**
The Home Minister termed the development a "historic milestone of the Modi government", congratulated the agencies involved, and said the government was committed to destroying "every narco-cartel before December 2029."
Singh's deportation is the latest in a string of operations to bring fugitive drug traffickers back to India. Earlier this year, authorities secured the return of alleged drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Türkiye and fugitive drug trafficker Virender Singh Basoya from the United Arab Emirates.
The specific charges against Singh, and the cases in which he will be produced, are expected to emerge as investigating agencies complete their custody formalities.
Sources:
- The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...ed-from-turkiye-amit-shah/article71539704.ece
- Economic Times: https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...m-turkiye-amit-shah/articleshow/134652246.cms
- Mathrubhumi: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/new...d-turkiye-amit-shah-drug-trafficking-vx75agsk
In a post on X, Shah said Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk and had continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into India. Indian agencies, he said, had "tracked him down, ripping apart veil after veil to unmask his true identity, and secured his deportation."
**"Historic milestone", says Shah**
The Home Minister termed the development a "historic milestone of the Modi government", congratulated the agencies involved, and said the government was committed to destroying "every narco-cartel before December 2029."
Singh's deportation is the latest in a string of operations to bring fugitive drug traffickers back to India. Earlier this year, authorities secured the return of alleged drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Dola from Türkiye and fugitive drug trafficker Virender Singh Basoya from the United Arab Emirates.
The specific charges against Singh, and the cases in which he will be produced, are expected to emerge as investigating agencies complete their custody formalities.
Sources:
- The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...ed-from-turkiye-amit-shah/article71539704.ece
- Economic Times: https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...m-turkiye-amit-shah/articleshow/134652246.cms
- Mathrubhumi: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/new...d-turkiye-amit-shah-drug-trafficking-vx75agsk
