Indian agencies have secured the deportation of alleged drug-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Türkiye, where he had obtained citizenship under the assumed identity of Navab Virk.
Union home minister Amit Shah announced the development on Saturday.
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He said, “Modi govt has achieved a historic milestone by securing the deportation of hardened narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Türkiye. Obtaining Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk, he had continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan. Our agencies tracked him down, ripping apart veil after veil to unmask his true identity, and secured his deportation. Today he has been brought back to India and put behind bars in connection with cases involving drug trafficking and other crimes he is accused of. Congratulations to all the agencies for this success.”
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{{/usCountry}}People aware of the matter said Singh is wanted in cases involving Punjab and Delhi police.
In recent months, he is the second drug kingpin deported from Türkiye. Earlier, Salim Dola, a key aide of wanted terrorist and underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim, was deported from Türkiye. Central agencies have been coordinating with their counterparts in Türkiye, the UAE and other countries to secure the deportation of such fugitives.
Shah reiterated the government’s target of dismantling narco-cartels before December 2029. Last month, he announced that India will be free from drug cartels by 2029.
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At the 3rd annual anti-narcotics conference on September 22, Shah had reiterated the importance of having a dedicated campaign to deport foreign accused present in India and blacklist them so they can never re-enter the country. “The fugitives who are supplying drugs to the country from abroad should be caught and brought before the Indian courts. By targeting borders and production centres, all loopholes must be plugged,” he added.
The government’s three-year plan to crack down on drugs has identified 25 top fugitive drug smugglers settled abroad, two of whom have already been brought back. Each state has been tasked with identifying top drug dealers in their area and nabbing them before December 2029.