A New Zealand drug operation busted in 2023 took a new turn on March 28, 2026, when the mastermind behind it decided to withdraw his appeal for name suppression in the country's Supreme Court.
Three years ago, Baltej Singh was arrested at Auckland International Airport, while boarding a flight to Dubai. The police recovered $10,390.20 in cash from him. On further investigations, they found something bigger as they recovered over 700 kgs of methamphetamine drug belonging to the Indian-origin man.
He was arrested and after admission of the charges, Baltej was sentenced to 22 years in jail. However, the former businessman, had appealed to New Zealand's high court that his identity should not be revealed as it posed a threat to his and his family's life.
The reason Baltej appealed for name suppression is that he is nephew of Satwant Singh, one of the bodyguards responsible for the killing of India's former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, according to a report by stuff.co.nz.
His identity was kept suppressed for several years but can now be reported following the conclusion of the court proceedings.
