IN A MASSIVE CRACKDOWN, PUNJAB POLICE CONDUCT STATE-WIDE SEARCHES ON PERSONS LINKED WITH NOTORIOUS GANGSTER TURNED TERRORIST ARSH DALLA

— EXERCISE WAS PART OF CRACKDOWN ON GANGSTER-TERRORIST NEXUS TO MAKE PUNJAB CRIME-FREE STATE AS PER VISION OF CM BHAGWANT MANN, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV

CHANDIGARH, January 7:

In a massive crackdown against gangster-terrorist nexus amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a crime-free state as per the vision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Police on Saturday morning launched massive raids on suspected hideouts of persons linked with Gangster turned Terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla.

The simultaneous raids were conducted at the residential and other premises linked to Arsh Dalla of Dalla village in Moga district, in all the districts of Punjab in ongoing cases. The operation was aimed at disrupting the nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers based in India and abroad.

Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said today’s searches were planned after the questioning of several persons in the recently busted modules backed by Arsh Dalla, besides, to infuse fear among the anti-social elements and instil a sense of safety and security among the common people. The operation was conducted simultaneously across the state in all the districts.

During the search operation, as many as 192 Police parties searched the premises of at least 232 persons linked with Arsh Dalla.

Giving details of the Cordon and Search Operation, the DGP said that several persons have been detained for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession, which is being further examined. During the search operations, data from Electronic devices was collected, arms licence were checked, sourcing of ammunition was ascertained, travel details of foreign-based family members were collected, Bank transactions from abroad and western union were collected, property details were collected, which are being examined further.

According to Police, Canada-based Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla is a notorious gangster turned terrorist involved in various criminal activities in Punjab and abroad and is most wanted criminal by the Punjab Police. He is a Category-A gangster turned terrorist and is a KTF operative, which is a banned terrorist organisation. In year 2020, after committing the murder of one of his associate Sukkha Lamme, he escaped to Canada.

Sitting in Canada, he runs a network of gangsters involved in extortion, killings and other terror crimes in Punjab. He has been indulging in these crimes in association with his other associates based out in Manila, Malaysia, Canada and Pakistan.

There are as many as 35 FIRs pertaining to murder, looting, Dacoity, extortions, ransom and spreading terror, registered against him. His involvement had also emerged in various targeted killings that took place in the border state of Punjab, besides, in cases of supplying militant hardware including RDX, IEDs, AK-47 and other arms and ammunition to modules in the state after getting them imported/drone dropped from Pakistan.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the process is already on to extradite Arsh Dalla from Canada and soon, he will be brought to India. Notably, Red Corner Notice against Arsh Dalla has already been issued and is being followed up vigorously.