Crime
FBI-Wanted Drug Mafia Kingpin Arrested in India in Global Narcotics Syndicate Crackdown
Punjab Police have arrested Shehnaz Singh, also known as Shawn Bhinder, an Indian-origin drug lord wanted by the FBI, amid an ongoing anti-drugs crackdown in Tarn Taran. Bhinder, originally from Mandiala village in Batala, was residing in Brampton, Canada, and played a major role in an international drug syndicate.
According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, Bhinder was linked to a massive drug bust in the U.S. on February 26, 2025, when the FBI seized 391 kg of methamphetamine, 109 kg of cocaine, and multiple weapons. Six of Bhinder’s associates were arrested during the operation, but he managed to escape and fled to India. Punjab Police tracked him down and arrested him in Ludhiana.
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DIG Swapan Sharma revealed that Bhinder had been operating a transportation business in Canada since 2014, which he allegedly used to smuggle drugs from Colombia into the U.S. and Canada via Mexico. Investigations suggest his network transported approximately 600 kg of cocaine weekly. He is also linked to arms and drug trafficking gangs, including those led by Amritpal Singh alias Baath and Gurjant Singh Bholu Havelia.
Bhinder was also wanted in an Arms Act case from December 2024, when Tarn Taran Police arrested five members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Amritpal Batth gang, recovering a large cache of weapons. As part of the anti-narcotics drive, Tarn Taran Police have registered 125 cases under the NDPS Act over the last four months, arresting 145 individuals and recovering 34 kg of heroin, 4 kg of opium, and Rs 2.29 lakh in drug money. Additionally, 29 proclaimed offenders linked to drug cases have been apprehended.
Further investigations into Bhinder’s network and international drug connections are ongoing.