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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) connected Wednesday (May 13, 2026) arrested an alleged “narco-terrorist”, Iqbal Singh, aft securing his extradition from Portugal pursuing sustained diplomatic and ineligible efforts.
The bureau alleged that Singh, alias Shera, was a mastermind successful a large Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terror-financing case. He was brought to Delhi and taken into custody by the NIA. The accused had fled to Portugal successful 2020.
A non-bailable apprehension warrant was issued against him successful October 2020, portion an Interpol Red Notice was opened successful June 2021.
According to the NIA, Shera was a cardinal conspirator and handler of an India-based narco-terror module engaged successful smuggling heroin from Pakistan.
“A autochthonal of Amritsar successful Punjab, Shera had masterminded the conspiracy involving the smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan into the borderline State. He had coordinated and overseen the trafficking and organisation of the smuggled drugs and channelised the proceeds done ‘hawala’ networks to Pakistan and Kashmir-based operatives of HM to facilitate panic activities,” it said.
The bureau alleged that Shera had formed a pack and operated a Punjab-based web of associates engaged successful trafficking ample quantities of heroin, collecting merchantability proceeds, and transferring funds to handlers and panic operatives. He had maintained adjacent links with Pakistan-based HM panic operatives, the bureau said.
The lawsuit was antecedently registered by the Punjab constabulary pursuing the apprehension of an alleged HM overground idiosyncratic identified arsenic Hilal Ahmed Shergojri. The constabulary had besides seized ₹29 lakh successful alleged cause proceeds from his possession.
Hilal was allegedly a “close aide” of deceased militant commandant Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo. Further probe led to the betterment of different ₹32 lakh from assorted Punjab-based members of the gang.
