New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- Hardened narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh has been deported from Turkiye, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday and termed it a historic milestone of the Modi government.
Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Singh after he arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and he was sent to 10-day police custody by a court on Saturday, court sources said
The Modi govt is committed to destroying every narco-cartel before December 2029, Shah asserted.
Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of Navab Virk and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine to India from Afghanistan, the Home Minister posted on X.
"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," the Home Minister said and congratulated all the agencies for this success.
During the proceedings in court, the prosecutor said that Singh was the kingpin of a narco network and needed to be taken to several states, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, for probe regarding a 2022 NDPS case.
Following this, Special Judge Anuradha Shukla allowed Delhi Police's plea for 10 days' custody of Singh.
A statement from the Home Ministry said on Saturday that Red Corner notices have been issued against 401 fugitive criminals.
It said the Modi government has launched a coordinated campaign to bring back fugitives. Since 2019 to August 2026, a total of 288 fugitives from 36 countries have been brought back to India.
"Previous governments lacked the political will to bring back fugitives; the Modi government has made the extradition of fugitives a 'national priority'," a government statement said.
It said that Shah has emphasised a three-pronged strategy against fugitives: global outreach, strong coordination and smart diplomacy.
Shah described the issue of fugitive offenders as one that is intrinsically linked to the country's sovereignty, economic stability, law and order and national security, it said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.