New Delhi: The Indian government has secured the deportation of alleged narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Turkey. He will face cases related to drug trafficking and other alleged crimes in India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Shah called the development as a “historic milestone” for the Modi government, saying Indian agencies had traced Singh despite his alleged use of a false identity and Turkish citizenship.
Navpreet Singh brought back to India
“Obtaining Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk, he had continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan,” Amit Shah said in a post on X.
According to Home Minister, Indian agencies tracked Singh down and established his “true identity” before securing his deportation from Turkey. Singh has since been brought back to India and placed in custody.
The development follows an investigation into an international narcotics network allegedly operating across India, Afghanistan and Turkey.
Also Read: Trump Says Iran War Will End 'Very Quickly', Predicts Oil Prices Will 'Drop Like a Rock'
Alleged role in international drug network
Navpreet Singh, also known as Nav, had emerged during an earlier probe into a major international narcotics syndicate. Investigators said that he was the Turkey-based kingpin of the network, while his cousin Prabhdeep Singh acted as its operational link in India.
The investigation began in 2021 with the arrest of Rizwan Kashmiri in south Delhi. It helped investigators uncover a wider network involving several states and Afghan nationals.
The probe subsequently resulted in significant heroin seizures in Faridabad.
Also Read: Kedarnath Yatra Turns Tense: Mumbai Pilgrims Beaten With Sticks, 3 Mule Handlers Booked
Probe extended across countries
The investigation into the syndicate also involved efforts to trace individuals who had left India and were operating from abroad.
One of them was Prabhdeep Singh, described by investigators as Navpreet Singh's cousin and an important operational link in the alleged network. Indian agencies secured his extradition from Azerbaijan in May after tracing him to an apartment in Baku.
Prabhdeep was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice and was brought back to India by a special team involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Delhi Police. The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs also supported the operation.
Also Read: Flydubai Flight Scare: Co-Pilot Was Barred From Flying in Oman Over Extremism Concerns
Azerbaijan extradition preceded Turkey action
Prabhdeep Singh had allegedly fled India in 2023. The CBI, acting as India's National Central Bureau for Interpol, used the Bharatpol platform to coordinate with international agencies in tracing him.
Azerbaijani authorities subsequently arrested Prabhdeep, following which India initiated the formal process for his extradition.
The action against Navpreet Singh now represents another international operation targeting the alleged narcotics network. Indian agencies traced him to Turkey despite his alleged use of a false identity and citizenship there.
Shah said Singh had allegedly continued trafficking heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan to India while operating under the identity of Navab Virk.
With his deportation completed, Singh is now in Indian custody and will face proceedings in cases concerning drug trafficking and other alleged crimes.