3 min readChandigarhUpdated: Mar 30, 2026 07:28 AM IST
New Zealand’s largest media organisation has named the nephew of Satwant Singh, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassin, in a Rs 180-crore (NZ$36 million) drug trail, tipped as the country’s biggest ever methamphetamine bust.
The report, published in Stuff on Saturday, comes after Satwant Singh’s nephew, Baltej Singh, quietly withdrew his bid to retain permanent name suppression, a protection granted by a New Zealand court that had prevented domestic media from identifying him.
Stuff report said Baltej Singh is serving a 22-year prison sentence after admitting importing more than 700kg of methamphetamine, the largest amount ever seized by New Zealand authorities.
He was granted permanent name suppression after his lawyer, Ron Mansfield K C, argued that Baltej Singh and his family would face extreme hardship and be in danger if he was named, Stuff said.
Baltej Singh’s name had been in circulation outside New Zealand since at least April 2023, when Indian media first identified him following his arrest. A detailed investigation by a Canadian broadcaster in October 2025 further amplified global attention on the case. By then, legal experts say, the suppression order had lost practical relevance, as it held no jurisdiction beyond New Zealand.
Baltej Singh’s family background has drawn particular attention. He is the nephew of Satwant Singh, one of the two bodyguards who assassinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar. The family later migrated to New Zealand, where they initially ran a small grocery business in Auckland before accumulating substantial wealth over the years.
Authorities allege Baltej Singh orchestrated a sophisticated drug importation network, disguising liquid methamphetamine shipments as everyday beverages. These included kombucha from the United States, coconut water from India, and nearly 29,000 cans of a Canadian beer brand. The operation came to light after the death of a 21-year-old man in March 2023, who consumed meth-laced liquid from one such can.
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Investigators had traced the supply chain to a storage facility in Auckland, where approximately 700 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine were seized. Baltej Singh was arrested at Auckland Airport while attempting to board a flight to Dubai.
He was later sentenced to 22 years in prison on charges including importing methamphetamine, ephedrine, and cocaine. A co-accused, who distributed the contaminated cans, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 21 years.
