New Delhi, May 13, 2026: In a significant development in India’s fight against narco-terrorism, a Delhi court on Wednesday granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) a two-day transit remand of extradited narco-terror accused Iqbal Singh alias Shera, enabling the agency to take him to Punjab for further investigation.
Shera, a resident of Amritsar in Punjab, was extradited from Portugal earlier in the day following sustained efforts by Indian authorities. Soon after his arrival in India, the NIA formally arrested him and produced him before Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitambar Dutt at Patiala House Courts in New Delhi.
The NIA had sought a three-day transit remand to transfer the accused to Mohali, Punjab, where the case is being investigated. After hearing the agency’s submissions, the court approved a two-day transit remand.
According to the NIA, Shera was one of the key masterminds behind a major conspiracy involving the smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan into Punjab through cross-border networks. Investigators revealed that a non-bailable warrant against him had been pending since October 2020.
The agency further stated that Shera allegedly coordinated the trafficking, distribution, and financial operations linked to the narcotics network. The proceeds generated through the illegal drug trade were reportedly routed via hawala channels to operatives associated with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror outfit based in Pakistan and Kashmir.
Officials believe the funds were used to support and facilitate terrorist activities, highlighting the growing nexus between narcotics trafficking and cross-border terrorism.
The extradition and subsequent arrest of Shera is being viewed as a major breakthrough for Indian investigative agencies in dismantling narco-terror ecosystems operating across international borders.
