Punjab Police arrested Shehnaz Singh aka Shawn Bhinder, an international drug dealer wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an official said on Monday. Singh is a key player in a global narcotics syndicate.
Singh was arrested in Punjab's Tarn Taran in a planned operation, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav revealed in a post on X.
"In a major breakthrough, @TarnTaranPolice arrests Big Fish Shehnaz Singh @ Shawn Bhinder, a transnational drug lord wanted by the #FBI-#USA. He was a key player in a global narcotics syndicate, smuggling cocaine from #Colombia into the #USA and #Canada," Yadav posted on X.
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Singh, also known by the alias Shawn Bhinder, is allegedly a major player in a transnational drug trafficking network that smuggled large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to the United States and Canada.
He further said that this operation followed the arrest of four of his associates in the US on February 26. The associates were identified as Amritpal ‘Amrit Bal’ Singh, Amritpal ‘Cheema’ Singh, Takdir Singh aka Romy, Sarbsit Singh alias Sabi and Fernando ‘Franco’ Valladares.
{{/usCountry}}He further said that this operation followed the arrest of four of his associates in the US on February 26. The associates were identified as Amritpal ‘Amrit Bal’ Singh, Amritpal ‘Cheema’ Singh, Takdir Singh aka Romy, Sarbsit Singh alias Sabi and Fernando ‘Franco’ Valladares.
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During that operation, the officials seized 391 kg of methamphetamine, 109 kg of cocaine, and four firearms from the suspects' homes and vehicles.
Who is Shehnaz Singh?
Shehnaz Singh is an alleged transnational drug dealer. Wanted by the FBI, he was tracked and caught in Punjab's Tarn Taran following an operation.
The hunt to capture Singh was undertaken after a few of his associates were arrested in the United States.
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After the crackdown in the US, Singh fled to India, where he managed to evade capture until the Punjab Police tracked him down.
The development comes amid the Punjab government's ongoing 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' (war against drugs) campaign, launched on February 25.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann recently chaired a meeting of senior officials as part of the state government's renewed push for its anti-drugs campaign, setting a deadline of three months to make the state drug-free.
(With PTI inputs)