Wanted Punjab Gangster Deported From Ethiopia After Ten-Month Hunt

Punjab Police brought wanted gangster Gurwinder, also known as Afridi, back to India from Ethiopia on Sunday following a ten-month international manhunt.

Operation Details

Afridi landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport early in the morning and was escorted to Punjab by a team of the Anti-Gangster Task Force led by SP Bikram Brar. The operation, named Operation SHAHID, was carried out by the Anti-Gangster Task Force and the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell of Counter Intelligence with the support of central agencies. Police sources noted this is the first time Punjab Police has secured the return of a fugitive from an African country.

Criminal Charges

The Punjab government had announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to Afridi's arrest. According to DGP Gaurav Yadav, preliminary investigations show the accused was directing targeted killings, extortion-related firing incidents, and organised criminal activities in Punjab from abroad. Afridi's name also surfaced in the August 2022 attack on a church in Thakkarpura village of Tarn Taran, where masked men vandalised statues and set a car on fire.

Context

State police forces in India frequently coordinate with central intelligence and foreign law enforcement bodies to track down suspects who operate criminal networks from overseas. The creation of specialised units like the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell reflects growing efforts by state police to deal with international extraditions.