The Indian-origin man behind one of New Zealand’s largest methamphetamine importation schemes can now be identified after abandoning a prolonged legal bid to keep his name secret.

Baltej Singh, a former Auckland businessman, is serving a 22-year prison sentence after admitting to importing more than 700 kilograms of methamphetamine – the largest seizure of its kind by New Zealand authorities.

Baltej Singh’s identity had been suppressed for several years but can now be reported following the conclusion of court proceedings.

It is reported that this case attracted additional attention globally especially amongst the Indian diaspora due to Baltej Singh’s family background.

Baltej Singh is the nephew of Indira Gandhi’s Khalistani assassin, Satwant Singh, one of the bodyguards responsible for her killing in 1984. Court documents stated the assassination left the family widely known among Sikh and Hindu communities globally, exposing them to threats and intimidation.

It is reported by Stuff that the High Court initially granted Baltej Singh permanent name suppression, accepting arguments from his lawyer that revealing his identity could endanger his family. Justice Kiri Tahana found the risk to their safety – including potential threats to life – outweighed the principle of open justice at that stage.

However, the Crown successfully appealed the decision. Prosecutors argued Baltej Singh’s identity had already been reported overseas and that any individuals motivated to harm him or his family would likely already know who he was.

The Court of Appeal agreed, finding there was a clear public interest in identifying a person responsible for offending on such a scale.

Judges ruled that this public interest outweighed what they described as a very low risk of harm to Baltej Singh’s family.

Baltej Singh initially sought to challenge that ruling in the Supreme Court but later withdrew his appeal.

Investigations revealed a complex international smuggling operation involving shipments disguised as everyday consumer goods. Methamphetamine and its precursor chemicals were concealed inside cans of coconut water, bottles of kombucha and thousands of cans of “Honey Bear” beer transported from countries including India, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the United States.

Authorities uncovered the operation after multiple consignments arrived in New Zealand between 2021 and 2022. By early 2023, Baltej Singh and his associate, Himatjit “Jimmy” Singh Khalon, were unpacking the shipments at a rented industrial unit in south Auckland, where police later seized both liquid and crystallised methamphetamine.

The case took a tragic turn with the death of 21-year-old Aidan Sagala, who unknowingly consumed meth-laced beer. Medical testing showed extremely high levels of the drug in his system. Khalon, who had distributed some of the contaminated alcohol, later attempted to retrieve it from others.

He was convicted of manslaughter and drug-related charges and sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment.

Baltej Singh was arrested at Auckland Airport while attempting to board a flight to Dubai, carrying more than $10,000 in cash. Further searches uncovered large quantities of drugs, equipment used to process methamphetamine, and significant sums of money linked to the operation.

At sentencing, prosecutors described Baltej Singh as a calculated organiser who played a key role in coordinating the imports. His defence argued he had been drawn into the scheme because of his business reputation and was acting under direction from overseas.

Justice Tahana accepted he was not at the top of the criminal hierarchy but found his involvement substantial, rejecting claims he had been coerced. She noted the potential harm to the community had the drugs reached circulation would have been severe, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Police said the scale of the seizure would ordinarily represent a major disruption to organised crime, but acknowledged the investigation was overshadowed by Sagala’s death.

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