The Sadar Police have registered a criminal case against five police personnel, including CIA staff in-charge Prabhjeet Singh, for allegedly facilitating passport clearance for alleged international drug trafficker Shahpinder Singh, alias Shawn Bhinder, through fraudulent means.Apart from Prabhjeet Singh, the others named in the case are two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) Lakhwinder Singh and Gurwinder Singh, head constable Harkamal Singh, and constable Dharminder Singh.According to police, the officials have been accused of manipulating official records and issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to enable the release of Bhinder’s passport.Investigations revealed that the accused allegedly forged the signature of ASI Balbir Singh on the NOC through impersonation, thereby bypassing mandatory verification procedures required by the Regional Passport Office (RPO). The fraudulent clearance reportedly took place about a year ago.While Prabhjeet Singh had already been placed under suspension on April 6, the remaining four personnel were suspended on April 8, a senior police officer confirmed.Bhinder, a key figure in international drug trafficking, had been arrested by the Sadar Police last year. At that time, he was reportedly wanted by the US-based Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking network. Authorities alleged that Bhinder coordinated the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to destinations including the US and Canada.Despite his arrest, Bhinder was later acquitted by a local court. His passport, which had been seized and deposited with the police as part of the case property, was subsequently returned after he produced the NOC—now under scrutiny for alleged forgery.DIG of Ferozepur Range, Sneh Sharma, stated that all five accused officials are currently absconding. Police teams have launched multiple raids to apprehend them from their suspected hideouts.A case has been registered under Sections 256, 336(2), 336(3), 339, 340(2), and 61(2) of the BNS.