New Delhi: New Zealand’s leading news outlet Stuff has, for the first time, publicly identified Baltej Singh, who has been accused of masterminding one of the largest methamphetamine trafficking operations in the country’s history.
The disclosure comes after Baltej Singh withdrew his legal bid to keep his identity suppressed by court order. While international media had earlier reported his name, local outlets in New Zealand were barred from publishing it due to legal restrictions.
The case surfaced in 2023 following the death of a 21-year-old youth who allegedly consumed drug-laced beer by mistake. During the investigation, police seized around 700 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in juice and beer cans shipped from Canada.
Baltej Singh has been sentenced to 22 years in prison on drug trafficking charges, and assets worth approximately $36 million have been confiscated.
According to reports, Baltej Singh is related to Satwant Singh, one of the bodyguards involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.
Following those events, the family migrated to New Zealand in the 1980s, where they initially ran a small grocery business before moving into real estate and accumulating significant wealth.
Authorities have described the case as one of the largest drug busts in New Zealand’s history, with investigations revealing a complex international trafficking network.
