Pak based terrorist Rinda’s six operatives arrested by Punjab police

Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has in a joint operation with Mohali police busted a major terror module. The force has arrested six associates of ISI-backed Pak-based terrorist Harvinder Rinda (associated with Babbar Khalsa International) and recovered five pistols along with ammunition from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Roshan Kumar, Saurab Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Amrinder Singh alias Billi, Arshveer Singh and Sunny, all residents of Patiala. All the arrested accused persons were involved in criminal activities including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, dacoity, inter-state gun running, etc.

According to the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, arrests were made from Zirakpur when accuse were travelling in their Hyundai Verna car. The arrested accused Arshveer Singh was wanted by the Punjab Police for his involvement in a Patiala double murder case, wherein, two youths were stabbed to death in April this year.

Sharing more details, Assistant Inspector General AGTF Sandeep Goel said, “During preliminary investigations. It was revealed that the arrested accused persons were planning to commit sensational crimes in the state. Prior to this accused Sunny and Arshveer were caught by the Special Cell, Delhi and 18 pistols were recovered from them in January 2023. They were currently out on bail.”

A fresh case FIR no 247 dated 27-8-2023 has been registered under sections 382, 384, 473, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 25 (6) and 25 (7) of the Arms Act in Mohali.

Meanwhile in another crackdown on narco terrorism of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), has arrested six associates of ISI-backed Pak-based terrorist Harwinder Rinda (associated with Babbar Khalsa International) and recovered five pistols at Mohali ordered attachment of the property of Varinder Singh Chahal, a key accused in a 2019 case of seizure of heroin and drug money.

Chahal was a close associate of an international Dubai-based drug smuggler and money launderer, Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, and also of Pakistan-based self-styled Chief of KLF, Harmeet Singh alias Ph.D.

Chahal was engaged in the collection of heroin consignments from Kashmiri drug dealers on the directions of Hakimzada and Ph.D, as part of a KLF narco terror module. The narco-terror network of KLF, a proscribed terrorist organisation, was being operated by these terrorists through India-based drug smugglers.

NIA investigations in the case showed that the narco-terror network being promoted by Hakimzada and Ph.D was widespread and involved drug smugglers/terror operatives and hawala operatives based in Punjab, J&K and Delhi.  NIA has established the role of Ph.D in this narco-terror network and has found that he was using the money to strengthen and expand KLF’s activities in India and to radicalise vulnerable youth to spread terror as part of the outfit’s agenda to promote terror and violence related activities in India.

The other mastermind, Hakimzada, has been engaged in promotion of narco-terror activities internationally and has been involved in smuggling of heroin and psychotropic substance around the world. The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed financial sanctions against him by declaring him as a ‘Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker’.