NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said India has secured the deportation of alleged narco-trafficking kingpin Navpreet Singh from Türkiye, describing it as a major success in the government’s campaign against international drug networks and fugitive offenders.
In a post on X, Shah said Navpreet Singh had allegedly obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity of “Navab Virk” and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into India.
“Our agencies tracked him down, unmasking his true identity and securing his deportation. He has now been brought back to India and put behind bars in connection with cases involving drug trafficking and other crimes he is accused of,” Shah said.
The Home Minister congratulated the agencies involved in the operation and reiterated the government’s commitment to dismantling narcotics networks. He said the Centre was determined to destroy every narco-cartel operating against India’s interests by December 2029.
According to the government, India has intensified efforts in recent years to secure the return of fugitives from abroad. Between 2019 and August 2026, a total of 288 fugitives were brought back from 36 countries.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the government had adopted a coordinated strategy involving international outreach, inter-agency coordination and diplomatic engagement to pursue fugitive offenders. It said amendments to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019 strengthened India’s ability to target not only banned organisations but also individual terrorists, handlers, financiers and support networks operating from abroad.
The government also highlighted the launch of the BHARATPOL platform in January 2025, which links the CBI, state police forces and district-level law enforcement units for faster information-sharing and coordination in international investigations.
The Ministry said assets worth ₹17,874 crore belonging to fugitive offenders had been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) between 2019 and 2026. It added that Red Corner Notices had been issued against 401 fugitives over the past three years, including 182 notices issued up to July 2026.
