New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested wanted narco-terrorist Iqbal Singh alias Shera following his successful extradition from Portugal after sustained diplomatic and legal efforts.Shera was described by the agency as the mastermind in a major Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terror financing case, who was brought to India after due legal process. He was detained by an NIA team at the Delhi airport soon after his arrival from Portugal, where he had allegedly absconded in 2020.The counter-terrorism agency said Shera’s extradition and arrest is a significant breakthrough in the crackdown on Pakistan-backed narco-terrorism and cross-border terror networks.“His successful extradition and arrest is a major blow to the NIA’s fight against Pakistan-backed narco and cross-border terrorism,” the NIA said in a statement.According to the agency, Shera was wanted in the HM narco-terror module case. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him in October 2020, while an Interpol notice was issued in June 2021.During investigation, NIA found Shera to be a key conspirator and operator of an India-based narco-terrorist network, allegedly involved in smuggling of heroin from Pakistan to Punjab and channelizing the proceeds for terrorist activities.Shera, a native of Amritsar, Punjab, allegedly conspired to smuggle narcotics across the border and coordinated the smuggling and distribution of heroin through a network operating in the border state.“Shera had coordinated and supervised the smuggling and distribution of smuggled drugs, and provided a source of income to Pakistan and HM’s Kashmir-based operatives through the Hawala network to facilitate terrorist activities,” the NIA said.The agency further alleged that Shera had created a Punjab-based terror gang, which included associates involved in heroin trafficking, collection of proceeds from drug sales and transfer of funds to operators and terror operatives associated with the Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen network.According to investigators, Shera maintained close ties with Pakistan-based HM operatives and used the narcotics trade to finance anti-India activities.The case was originally registered by Punjab Police following the arrest of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen overground worker Hilal Ahmed Shergozri, who was allegedly linked to slain HM commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo.Police had recovered Rs 29 lakh of alleged drugs from Hilal’s possession. In the subsequent investigation, Rs 32 lakh more were recovered from various Punjab-based members associated with the terrorist module.After taking over the investigation, the NIA began efforts to dismantle the network and attempted to extradite Shera through international legal and diplomatic channels.