Investigations carried out by the Punjab police in various cases show that increasing incidents of killings, extortion calls, and an upsurge in the activities of Khalistanis in the state have a direct connection with radicalised gangsters operating from Canada.

The recent killing of Punjabi pop singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab's Mansa district, the attack on the Punjab police's Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali, and the murders of Maninder Dhaliwal, Satinder Gill, and Ripudaman Singh Mallick in Surrey (Vancouver, BC Canada), are all a handiwork of Canada-based gangsters.

These radicalised gangsters are also getting active support from Pakistan’s notorious ISI spy agency to carry out their nefarious activities.

The seven Canada-based notorious gangsters identified by the Punjab police include Lakhbir Singh Landa, Goldy Brar, Charanjit Singh Randhawa alias Rinku, Arshdeep Singh Dalla, Ramandeep Singh Judge, Gurpinder Singh Baba, and Sukhdul Singh Duneke. All these small-time criminals turned gangsters have now joined hands with Khalistani organisations and are active in fomenting trouble in Punjab, especially by sending weapons and drugs via Pakistan to their contacts in the state.

The Punjab police have through Interpol issued red corner notices (RCN) against four of these gangsters while the process of issuing RCNs against others is in progress. The process of extradition of criminals is a tedious task and takes several years to complete.

An RCN has also been issued against the US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the Sikhs for Justice. Pannun besides funding Khalistani activities in Punjab closely operates with the gangsters.

A senior Punjab police officer disclosed that the Canadian government which has been dragging its feet may now expedite the extradition process as it itself was facing incidents of targeted killings, drug smuggling, and gang wars by such elements.

The latest examples were the day-light murders of Ripudaman Mallick, Maninder Dhaliwal, and Satinder Gill in Surrey, all Punjabi emigrants. The role of radical leader Hardeep Nijjar and gangster Arshdeep Dalla was suspected in the kilings. In a major anti-drug operation at the end of last year, the Canadian police arrested 20 Punjabi youths and gangsters, the officer added.

Yesterday the father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala received a WhatsApp call from Canada telling the old man to be prepared to be shot next. The security of Moosewal's father and mother has been augmented.

On Thursday the Anti-Gangster-Task-Force and Amritsar district police had succeeded in eliminating two gangsters after a fierce encounter in a border village. It was suspected that the duo had plans to cross over to Pakistan to escape the Punjab police dragnet.

In yet another encounter in Zirakpur of Mohali district also last week, the police succeeded in capturing alive two gangsters who had come to collect extortion money from a hotelier.