CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Monday arrested an Indian-origin international drug lord Shehnaz Singh alias Shawn Bhinder who is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of United States of America (USA). Shawn Binder is the alleged kingpin in a global narcotics network and smuggled cocaine from Colombia into the United States and Canada.
Bhinder belongs to Mandiala village in Batala and had been residing with his family in Brampton in Canada since 2014. The Federal Bureau of Investigations on February 26 had seized a big cache of drugs and weapons, including 391 kilograms of methamphetamine, 109 kilograms of cocaine, and four sophisticated weapons from multiple residences and vehicles linked to the syndicate.
The FBI had arrested six accused in Amritpal Singh alias Amrit alias Bal, Amritpal Singh alias Cheema, Taqdeer Singh alias Romi, Sarabjit Singh Saabi, Fernando Valladares alias Franco and Gurlal Singh in the operation.
Bhinder, who was living in Canada then, evaded arrest and clandestinely landed in India in March.
Director General of Police, Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that Shawn Bhinder was a key player in a global narcotics syndicate, smuggling cocaine from Colombia into the USA and Canada.
"We successfully tracked and arrested him from the jurisdiction of Ludhiana. He was also wanted in an Arms Act case registered in December 2024, wherein Tarn Taran Police had arrested five members of the notorious Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Amritpal Batth Gang leading to recovery of significant cache of arms and ammunition from their possession," said Yadav.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ferozepur Range Swapan Sharma and Senior Superintendent of Police of Tarn Taran Abhimanyu Rana said that preliminary investigations reveal that Bhinder played a key role in transporting large consignments of drugs across international borders using trucks and trailers.
Rana who was tracking Bhinder since December last year said that it was 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 investigations revealed that Bhinder along with his accomplices were transporting approximately 600 kgs of cocaine from Colombia every week,’’ he added.
Rana said that 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.
Rana said that in the murder of sapranch last year Bhinder had provided shooters to Amritpal Batth.
Meanwhile, over the past four months, the Tarn Taran police has registered 125 cases under the NDPS Act, arresting 145 individuals and recovering 34 kg heroin, 4 kg opium and Rs 2.29 lakh drug money.
Additionally, 29 proclaimed offenders in the cases of NDPS Act have been apprehended during this period.