Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Indian agencies on Wednesday secured the extradition of high-profile fugitive Prabhdeep Singh from Azerbaijan, marking a significant breakthrough for international law enforcement cooperation. Singh, the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, was escorted back to India by a special three-member team.The operation witnessed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Delhi Police acting in tandem with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the ministry of home affairs (MHA). Singh was recently geolocated to a flat in Baku.The capture is significant because a large number of Indian gangsters and narco-traffickers had started to use the Azerbaijan route to flee the country, sources said. This operation also marks a major victory in India’s ongoing crackdown on narco-terrorism and organised crime, bringing the total number of fugitives repatriated to India in recent years to over 160, according to CBI.Singh, the alleged mastermind behind a massive international narcotics syndicate, arrived at the Delhi airport on Wednesday morning, escorted by the special team led by ACP Vivek Tyagi from Delhi Police’s special cell, additional CP Pramod Kushwaha said.Having absconded from India in 2023, Singh was traced in Baku after CBI triggered an Interepol Red Notice at the request of Delhi Police. CBI, acting as the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India, used the Bharatpol platform to streamline communication between domestic and international agencies.Following his arrest by Azerbaijani authorities, a formal extradition request was processed through diplomatic and legal channels, culminating in his return to Indian soil. The investigation of the case started in 2021, beginning with the arrest of Rizwan Kashmiri in south Delhi.His interrogation uncovered a sophisticated network spanning several states and involving Afghan nationals. The trail eventually led to a massive seizure in Faridabad, where 166 kg of heroin was found in one vehicle and 115 kg in another. Investigators established that the syndicate was orchestrated by Turkey-based drug kingpin Navpreet Singh, alias Nav. Prabhdeep Singh, Nav’s cousin, served as the operational linchpin in India.With the trial already under way for 10 other accused individuals, Singh’s extradition is expected to provide critical evidence regarding the gang’s financial trails and international links. He is being interrogated to further unravel the complexities of the drug network’s operations within India and abroad.
