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 an international drug trafficker, Shahpinder Singh alias Shawn Bhinder, through fraudulent means.Other police officials booked were two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) Lakhwinder Singh and Gurwinder Singh, a Head Constable Harkamal Singh, and a Constable Dharminder Singh.According to the police, the officials are accused of manipulating official records and issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to enable the release of a passport belonging to Shawn Bhinder. 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. It is pertinent to mention here that Prabhjeet was placed under suspension in this case on April 6, and the remaining four police personnel were suspended on April 8. Shawn Bhinder, a key figure in international drug trafficking, was arrested by the Sadar Police last year.At that time, he was reportedly wanted by the United States-based Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking network. Authorities had alleged that Bhinder coordinated the smuggling of large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to destinations including the United States 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.Deputy Inspector General (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 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against them. Further investigations are underway to determine the full extent of the conspiracy.