NIA arrests close aide of foreign operatives of pro-Khalistan terrorists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that they have arrested a close aide of two foreign-based operatives of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

Gagandeep Singh, alias Miti, was nabbed by the NIA on Tuesday during the agency's raids in Haryana and Punjab.

He is the fifth person to be arrested as part of the NIA's sustained crackdown on the organised crime syndicate and network being operated by the two KTF terrorists -- Arshdeep Singh, alias, Arsh Dala; and Manpreet Singh, alias Peeta -- in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan.

While Arsh Dala is based in Canada, Peeta is in the Philippines.

The case which pertains to the terror activities of chiefs and members of proscribed pro-Khalistan terrorist organisations, was registered suo-moto by the NIA on August 20, 2022.

The NIA had earlier arrested Lucky Khokhar in February, while Jassa Singh, Amritpal Singh and Amrik Singh were taken into custody in May.

Peeta and Arsh Dala were declared Proclaimed Offender by an NIA court in Mohali, on Monday in a priest's murder-conspiracy case.

According to the NIA investigations, Gagandeep Singh had been working for Dala and Peeta and was supporting them in smuggling weapons from across the border.

Gagandeep Sing was also part of an extortion racket for raising funds for KTF.

Dala and Peeta have been continuously recruiting new cadres in India to carry out the activities of KTF. They are working at the behest of Harjit Nijjar, KTF's self-styled chief in Canada, who was also designated as an 'individual terrorist' by the Centre in July 2020.

They were raising funds through extortion and other means, and carrying out smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives across the border.

KTF, as well as other proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Khalistan Liberation Force, Babbar Khalsa International, International Sikh Youth Federation, Khalistan Tiger Force, have been engaged in promoting terror across India.

Their activities include smuggling of terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition explosive, IEDs across international borders, for carrying out terrorist acts like bomb explosions, targeted killings.

--IANS

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