NEW DELHI, May 13: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested an alleged “narco-terrorist,” Iqbal Singh, after securing his extradition from Portugal following sustained diplomatic and legal efforts.
The agency alleged that Singh, alias Shera, was a mastermind in a major Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen (HuM) terror-financing case. He was brought to Delhi and taken into custody by the NIA. The accused had fled to Portugal in 2020.
A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him in October 2020, while an Interpol Red Notice was opened in June 2021. According to the NIA, Shera was a key conspirator and handler of an India-based narco-terror module engaged in smuggling heroin from Pakistan.
“A native of Amritsar in Punjab, Shera had masterminded the conspiracy involving the smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan into the border State. He had coordinated and overseen the trafficking and distribution of the smuggled drugs and channelised the proceeds through ‘hawala’ networks to Pakistan and Kashmir-based operatives of HM to facilitate terror activities,” it said.
The agency alleged that Shera had formed a gang and operated a Punjab-based network of associates engaged in trafficking large quantities of heroin, collecting sale proceeds, and transferring funds to handlers and terror operatives. He had maintained close links with Pakistan-based HM terror operatives, the agency said.
The case was previously registered by the Punjab police following the arrest of an alleged HM overground worker identified as Hilal Ahmed Shergojri. The police had also seized ₹29 lakh in alleged drug proceeds from his possession. Hilal was allegedly a “close aide” of deceased militant commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo. Further investigation led to the recovery of another ₹32 lakh from various Punjab-based members of the gang.
Last week, in a joint operation, the NIA and the Punjab and Haryana police arrested Ranjit Singh, an alleged narco-terrorist, at Sirsa in Haryana on Saturday. In a statement, the NIA said Singh was acting as a conduit for Pakistan-based groups to push drugs into India, and the money generated was used for terror activities.
The NIA said Singh alias Rana and another accused Iqbal Singh alias Shera were the prime accused in a case registered by the NIA last year in connection with the seizure of 532 kg of heroin hidden in a consignment of rock salt imported from Pakistan.
The seizure was made by Customs officials at the Attari border checkpoint on June 29 last. “Investigation revealed that Pakistan- based entities are smuggling narcotics from Pakistan into the Indian territory by hiding them in sacks of rock salt imported from Pakistan. This is done through an elaborate network of importers, custom house agents and transporters, and the operation is financed through illegal international hawala channels,” the statement said.
The NIA said the seized consignment was part of five consignments of drugs, of which four had been smuggled into India. The first charge sheet was submitted by the NIA on December 27 last against 15 accused persons, including Singh, who had been absconding since then.
The NIA said Singh was also the prime accused in the recent unearthing of a Hizb-ul Mujahideen terror-funding module with the arrest by the Punjab police of suspect Hilal Ahmad Wagay on April 25 with ₹29 lakh. “This money was being transported to the Kashmir Valley to be handed over to Riyaz Naikoo, chief operational commander of the Hizb-ul Mujahideen,” the NIA said. Naikoo was killed in a gunfight with security forces earlier this week.
The NIA said Singh and his five brothers were involved in drugs smuggling for many years. He has nine cases registered against him. “The NIA investigation has revealed that Pakistan-based terrorist organisations are using narcotic trade to generate funds for terror activities in India. The proceeds of narcotic trade are transferred to Kashmir Valley through couriers and Hawala channel for terrorist purposes,” the NIA said.
(Manas Dasgupta)