Who is Navpreet Singh? Amit Shah says hardened narco-trafficking kingpin brought back to India from Türkiye

Home Minister Amit Shah took to X to announce the development, saying that Navpreet Singh obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that a hardened narco-trafficking kingpin, Navpreet Singh, has been deported from Turkiye. He termed it a "historic milestone of the Modi government.

Shah took to X to announce the development, saying that Singh obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan.

"Obtaining Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk, he had continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan," Amit Shah wrote on X. He added, "Our agencies tracked him down...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," Shah added.

The "Modi govt is committed to destroying every narco-cartel before December 2029," he said.

Who is Navpreet Singh?

Navpreet Singh was allegedly linked to an international narcotics network with operations connecting India, Afghanistan and Türkiye, PTV News reported.

Navpreet Singh alias Nav is reportedly a native of village Vajir Bhullar in Beas.

The case dates back to 2021 when the Delhi Police made the" biggest-ever drug recovery", seizing 354 kg of heroin worth ₹2500 crore. Police also arrested four people, including an Afghan national.

The accused were identified as Rizwan Kashmiri, a resident of Ghitorni in Delhi and native of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh and Gurjot Singh, both residents of Jalandhar in Punjab and Hazrat Ali, a native of Kandahar in Afghanistan, police had said, as per PTI.

According to that report, police had said that Gurpreet and Gurjot had revealed that they were operating the drug racket on the instructions of a man named Navpreet Singh, based in Portugal.

"Gurpreet met Navpreet in Punjab's Kapurthala Jail when they were in judicial custody in separate cases," the DCP was quoted as saying.

Later that year, the Punjab Police arrested a drug smuggler, Yudhvir Singh alias Yodha, after recovering 55 kg of opium from his possession during a special check near Kartarpur in Jalandhar.

According to an ANI report from 2021, the DGP had then said that during the preliminary investigation, Yudhvir revealed that he had received this consignment through notorious drug smuggler Navpreet Singh alias Nav.

Yudhvir had reportedly claimed that Nav, while sitting abroad, had been supplying large quantities of refined drugs, mainly opium and heroin, in Punjab through his aides.

Pertinently, Nav has been facing various criminal cases under the NDPS act and is also wanted in Phillaur's Chintu Murder Case, news agency ANI had reported.

About the Author

Akriti Anand is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint. She is a digital journalist with more than six years in the news industry.<br><br> In her current role, she covers both national and international politics, and also keeps a close watch on the latest trends in science and space exploration. <br><br> Akriti joined the LiveMint team in October 2023. Before this, she built a strong career at other major media houses. She worked as a senior sub-editor at India Today. Later, she moved to CNBCTV-18. There, she covered high-pressure topics like breaking news and major elections. She spent much of her time analysing Parliament bills and complex political debates. She is also a skilled editor who knows how to polish a story for a digital audience. <br><br> One of her career highlights happened at CNBCTV-18. She made her first television debut during the Chandrayaan-3 mission. She also provided special on-air coverage for the Karnataka Elections. <br><br> When she is not busy with breaking news, Akriti loves to write explainers and interview experts on a wide range of issues. She also enjoys making complex space missions easy for everyone to understand. <br><br> Her education helps her tackle these diverse subjects. She holds a BA in English Literature, a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication, and a Master’s degree in Development Studies. She is currently expanding her knowledge in climate journalism.<br><br> Connect with Akriti here<br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199">https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199</a><br> Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/AkritiAnand7">https://x.com/AkritiAnand7</a><br> Email: akriti.anand@htdigital.in

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