Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested alleged narco-terror operative Iqbal Singh alias Shera, linked to the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, from Portugal and secured a two-day remand from a court. He will now be brought to Punjab for further interrogation.
Shera is considered the main accused in the record 532-kg heroin seizure at the Attari border in Amritsar — one of the biggest drug hauls ever recovered in the region. According to the NIA, Shera played a key role in running a Pakistan-backed narcotics and terror financing network.
Investigators said Shera allegedly coordinated heroin smuggling operations from Pakistan through his India-based network and routed the proceeds to terrorists via hawala channels. The agency claims the funds were used to support terror activities in Jammu & Kashmir.
A resident of Amritsar, Punjab, Shera fled India after the case was registered in 2020 and later went into hiding in Portugal. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him in October 2020, followed by an Interpol notice in June 2021 to facilitate his international arrest. Officials said his extradition became possible after sustained diplomatic efforts by the Indian government.
The probe revealed that Shera allegedly managed an extensive drug trafficking network in Punjab through associates and operatives involved in heroin supply, money collection and hawala transfers. The NIA also claimed he had direct links with Hizbul Mujahideen operatives based in Pakistan.
The case was initially registered by Punjab Police after the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen overground worker Hilal Ahmad Shergojri. Authorities had recovered around Rs 29 lakh in alleged drug proceeds from him. Hilal was reportedly a close aide of slain militant commander Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo.
During the investigation, agencies also recovered nearly Rs 32 lakh linked to narco-terror funding from other members of the Punjab-based network. The case was later taken over by the NIA.
