Chandigarh: In a major breakthrough against organised crime, the Punjab Police on Sunday secured the deportation of fugitive gangster Gurwinder, alias Afridi, from Ethiopia following a 10-month-long international manhunt under Operation SHAHID
Gurwinder alias Afridi, described by the police as a key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, was brought to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, where a team of the Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), led by senior officers, took charge of the accused to bring him back to Punjab for further investigation.
The operation was spearheaded by the Anti-Gangster Task Force in coordination with the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence wing, with assistance from central agencies.
Announcing the development, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the successful operation followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tracking of the fugitive across several countries in Asia, South America and Africa.
According to preliminary investigations, Afridi was allegedly operating from foreign soil and directing targeted killings, extortion-related firing incidents and other organised criminal activities in Punjab.
His alleged role in coordinating criminal operations from abroad had made him a priority target for the state police.
The Punjab government had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
Afridi is reportedly wanted in 35 criminal cases, including five murder cases. These include the killings of AAP sarpanch Rajwinder Singh, alias Raj Talwandi, in October 2024, 12-year-old Gursewak Singh in March 2025, Vicky Chugh in March 2025, Jaswant Singh in May 2025, and Congress block president Gurmel Singh in September 2025.
The successful deportation is being viewed as a significant achievement for Punjab Police, particularly in its efforts to track down gangsters who operate from foreign countries while allegedly orchestrating criminal activities in the state.
The DGP acknowledged the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and other central agencies, stressing that close coordination between state, central and international agencies was crucial to the operation.
With Afridi now back in India, investigators are expected to question him about his alleged involvement in multiple criminal cases, his links with gang members and the network through which criminal activities were allegedly being coordinated from abroad.
(IANS)
