Indian-origin drug lord wanted by FBI arrested in Ludhiana: Punjab Police

Chandigarh: Punjab police on Monday said it has arrested an Indian-origin transnational drug lord, wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with one of the largest narcotics seizures in the US, in Ludhiana.

Shehnaz Singh, also known as Shawn Bhinder, 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 US and Canada via Mexico, the police said.

After a crackdown by the FBI, Bhinder, a native of village Mandiala in Batala who had been residing in Brampton in Canada, managed to give a slip to the FBI sleuths and clandestinely landed in India, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said adding that the Punjab Police successfully tracked and arrested him from the jurisdiction of Ludhiana.

FBI had arrested six of his associates in the US and seized 391 kg methamphetamine, 109 kg cocaine, four sophisticated weapons and vehicles from their possession on February 26. The six have been identified as Amritpal Singh alias Amrit alias Bal, Amritpal Singh alias Cheema, Taqdeer Singh alias Romi, Sarabjit Singh Saabi, Fernando Valladares alias Franco, and Gurlal Singh.

Yadav said after the FBI crackdown, Bhinder managed to give a slip and clandestinely landed in India, adding that the Punjab Police tracked and arrested him from the jurisdiction of Ludhiana.

The top police officer said Bhinder was also wanted in an Arms Act case registered in December 2024, wherein the Tarn Taran police arrested five members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Amritpal Batth gang leading to the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition from their possession.

Swapan Sharma, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Ferozepur Range, accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tarn Taran Abhimanyu Rana, said preliminary investigations show that Shawn Bhinder played a key role in transporting large consignments of drugs across international borders using trucks and trailers.

Sharma said they found during interrogation that Bhinder, operating under the guise of a legitimate transportation business in Canada since 2014, allegedly facilitated the movement of drugs from Colombia to the US and Canada via Mexico. The probe also revealed that Bhinder along with his accomplices was transporting approximately 600 kg of cocaine from Colombia every week, he added.

Rana said Bhinder’s network is believed to have ties with notorious drug traffickers. including Amritpal Singh alias Baath and Gurjant Singh Bholu Havelia. Further investigations are on, he added.

Over the past four months, the Tarn Taran police have registered 125 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, arrested 145 people and recovered 34 kg heroin, 4 kg opium and Rs 2.29 lakh drug money. As many as 29 proclaimed offenders in the cases of the NDPS Act have also been apprehended during this period.