Punjab 5 criminals arrested following disclosure by deported gangster

    Chandigarh, Nov 15 (PTI) The Punjab Police has arrested five members of an organised criminal network following crucial disclosures by gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi, who was deported from Ethiopia recently, a top officer of the force said here on Sunday.

    The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with police in Tarn Taran, has also seized 11 pistols and 191 live cartridges from the possession of the accused, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said.

    The development comes following Afridi's deportation from Ethiopia on November 8. Sustained custodial interrogation of the gangster led to crucial disclosures regarding the identities and operational roles of several operatives actively running his syndicate in Punjab, the DGP said.

    Those arrested have been identified as Ajaypal Singh, a resident of Gandiwind, Tarn Taran; Jaswinder Singh alias Munsi, a resident of Talwandi Sobha Singh in Tarn Taran; Karanveer alias Karan, a resident of Kale Ke village in Tarn Taran; Ranjit Rana, a resident of Bhojoke village in Tarn Taran; and Ranjit Singh alias Rana, a resident of Ruknewala village in Ferozepur.

    The seized cache comprises five 9MM pistols, five .30-bore pistols and a .32-bore pistol.

    Yadav said investigation has revealed that the arrested accused are allegedly involved in more than 15 criminal cases, including firing incidents linked to extortion.

    They are also allegedly involved in cross-border arms smuggling at the behest of foreign-based handlers, who task them with carrying out serious criminal activities in Punjab, he said.

    The DGP said further investigation is underway to establish complete backward and forward linkages in the case to identify other associates of the accused and dismantle the wider criminal network.

    Sharing operational details, Special Director General of Police, AGTF, Promod Ban said immediately after bringing Afridi back to India, a specialised investigation was launched to dismantle his entire criminal ecosystem and map out its backward and forward linkages.

    Based on Afridi's disclosures, AGTF-Punjab, in close coordination with police in Tarn Taran, undertook an intelligence-led investigation to identify shooters and their logistical supporters, establish their individual roles and trace the illegal weapons being used by them, Ban said.

    Subsequent intelligence development enabled police teams to pinpoint and nab the five operatives, who were acting as shooters and providing logistical backing to execute extortion-linked firing incidents on the directions of foreign-based handlers, he added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)