The National Investigation Agency has arrested a close-aide of two foreign-based operatives of proscribed Khalistani outfit, said the federal agency on Thursday. The accused Gagandeep Singh alias Miti was arrested by the NIA on Tuesday during raids in Haryana and Punjab and is the fifth person to be arrested as a part of NIA's crackdown on the organised crime syndicate. Singh is a close-aide of Canada based Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dhalla and Philippines based Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, operatives of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) outfit.
Gagandeep Singh alias Mithi had been working for Dhalla and Peeta, and was supporting them in smuggling weapons from across the border. He was also part of an extortion racket for raising funds for the banned outfit, said the anti-terror agency in its statement.
The two operatives have been continuously recruiting new cadres in India to carry out the activities of the proscribed outfit. They have been working at the behest of Harjit Nijjar, KTF’s self-styled chief; currently based in Canada, who was designated as an ‘individual terrorist’ by the home ministry in July 2020, it added.
Dhalla was also designated as a terrorist by MHA in January this year.
KTF, as well as other proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Khalistan Liberation Force, Babbar Khalsa International, International Sikh Youth Federation, Khalistan Tiger Force etc., have been engaged in promoting terror across India. Their activities include smuggling of terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition explosive, IEDs etc. across international borders, for carrying out terrorist acts like bomb explosions, targeted killings etc.
Earlier, the NIA had arrested Lucky Khokhar alias Denis from Ganganagar in February 2023, Jassa Singh of Moga on May 18, 2023, as well as Amritpal Singh alias Ammy of Moga and Amrik Singh of Firozepur, who were picked up from IGI Airport, New Delhi on May 19, 2023.