NIA arrests Narco-Terrorist after extradition from Portugal  

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested wanted narco-terrorist Iqbal Singh @ Shera after successfully securing his extradition from Portugal following sustained diplomatic and legal efforts.  Mastermind in a major Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terror financing case, Shera was brought to India on Wednesday following the due legal process. He was taken into custody by NIA team at the Delhi airport immediately on his arrival from Portgual, to where he had absconded in 2020. His successful extradition and arrest come as a major shot in the arm for NIA’s fight against Pakistan-backed narco and cross border terrorism. 
The fugitive had a non-bailable arrest warrant against him in the case since October 2020. An Interpol Notice had also been in place for his arrest since June 2021.  In its investigation, NIA had found Shera to be a key conspirator and handler of an India-based narco-terror module engaged in smuggling heroin. A native of Amritsar in Punjab, Shera had masterminded the conspiracy involving smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan into the border state. He had coordinated and overseen the trafficking and distribution of the smuggled drugs, and channelised the proceeds through hawala networks to Pakistan and Kashmir based operatives of HM to facilitate terror activities. 
According to NIA statement, to carry forward the anti-India narco terror conspiracy, Shera had formed a terror gang and operated a Punjab-based network of associates engaged in the trafficking of large quantities of heroin, collection of sale proceeds, and transfer of funds to handlers and terror operatives. He had maintained closed links with Pak-based HM terror operatives.  The case was originally registered by Punjab Police following the arrest of an HM overground worker, identified as Hilal Ahmed Shergojri. The police had also recovered Rs. 29 lakhs of drug proceeds from the possession of Hilal – a close aide of deceased terrorist commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo. Further investigation had led to the recovery of another Rs. 32 lakhs as narco terror proceeds from various Punjab-based members of the terror gang. NIA, after taking over the case, had launched massive efforts to dismantle the module and secure Shera’s extradition. Further investigation in the case is continuing.

(Freelance Journalist)