Who is Shehnaz Singh? Punjab Police arrest drug lord wanted by FBI

Punjab Police on Monday arrested Shehnaz Singh, also known as Shawn Bhinder, an international drug trafficker wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his role in a global narcotics network.

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav announced the arrest of Shehnaz 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 said.

“This operation is a testament to our zero-tolerance approach to drug trafficking and organized crime. We remain committed to working with international law enforcement agencies to ensure that Punjab is not a safe haven for drug smugglers and criminals,” Yadav added.

The police official informed that the operation followed the arrest of four of his associates in the United States 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.

During that operation, the officials seized 391 kg of methamphetamine, 109 kg of cocaine, and four firearms from the suspects' homes and vehicles.

Shehnaz Singh is an international drug trafficker. According to the police, Shehnaz had been operating under the guise of a transportation business in Canada since 2014 and allegedly facilitated the movement of drugs from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada via Mexico.

Following the arrest of several of Singh's associates in the United States, the pursuit to apprehend Shehnaz was initiated. He escaped to India following the US crackdown, where he managed to evade capture until the Punjab Police tracked him down.

The development coincides with the present 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' (war against drugs) campaign, which was started on February 25 by the Punjab government. As part of the state government's increased drive for its anti-drugs campaign, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently chaired a conference of senior officials and set a three-month deadline to eradicate drugs from the state.