Chandigarh, April 8 -- In a major embarrassment for Punjab cops, a Batala-born international drug lord, wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the US, has managed to flee India under mysterious circumstances, triggering allegations of police collusion in his "escape". According to people in know of the matter, Shehnaz Singh, alias Shawn Bhinder, arrested in March last year from Ludhiana by Punjab Police during Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign, secured bail from the high court nearly two months ago. Subsequently, he applied to have his passport suspension revoked. "The inquiry regarding revocation of suspension of the passport was forwarded to the CIA in charge in Tarn Taran where an Arms Act case was registered against Bhinder (43) in October 2024. The inspector gave clearance to revoke his passport suspension. The accused fled from the country around 10 days ago after getting his passport," they added. "Tarn Taran CIA incharge Prabhjeet Singh has been placed under suspension. A departmental inquiry has been ordered to ascertain why a passport clearance was given despite the notorious background of the accused," said SSP Tarn Taran Surinder Lamba, adding that more lapses by the officer have also surfaced. Bhinder's "escape" has raised serious questions about the role of other officers linked to the case. A senior police functionary, who did not want to be named, said passports in such cases are generally made part of the case file. "It's baffling that how a clearance was given to revoke suspension of Bhinder's passport," he added. A native of Mandiala village in Batala, Bhinder graduated from a local college and moved to Canada in 2014, where he started a trucking business and allegedly smuggled drug consignments under the guise of a legitimate transportation network. He was a primary figure in a transnational narcotics network that smuggled roughly 600 kg of cocaine weekly from Colombia into the US and Canada via Mexico, says a dossier received by Punjab Police. He is wanted by the FBI in one of the largest drug seizures in the US on February 26, 2025. The US federal agency had arrested six of his associates in the US and seized 391kg of methamphetamine, 109 kg of cocaine, four sophisticated weapons and vehicles from their possession. Bhinder fled to India in March 2025, shortly after the FBI crackdown, and was staying in Ludhiana before being arrested by Punjab Police. At the time of his arrest, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav had described the accused as a "big fish" involved in an international narcotics syndicate. According to senior Punjab Police officers linked with the case, no request for deportation had been received from the FBI or any other international agency regarding the accused, who holds a Canadian passport. Beyond international drug trafficking, Bhinder was wanted in an Arms Act case, wherein Tarn Taran police had arrested five members of the notorious Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Amritpal Batth gang, leading to the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition from their possession....