In a first, Punjab Police secures extradition of gangster from Europe

Punjab’s law‑enforcement apparatus announced that Amritpal Singh, known as Amrit Dalam and identified as a key operative of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, was flown back to India on Saturday after being extradited from Moldova. The move, described by Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav as the culmination of Operation Eastern Reach, involved close coordination between the Anti‑Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab, the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) Punjab, and several central ministries and international partners.

According to police records, Dalam faces 21 criminal charges across Punjab, including five murder cases, nine under the Arms Act, one narcotics case, a UAPA charge, and offenses related to extortion and a fake passport. Four of the cases are currently at trial in Batala, while the remaining investigations span seven FIRs in Batala, four in Gurdaspur, two each in the Amritsar and Hoshiarpur commissionerates, and one each in Ludhiana and the State Special Operations Cell, Amritsar. A notable Interpol notice stems from FIR No 168 filed on 20 October 2024 at Bullowal police station in Hoshiarpur, which concerns a double murder. The six‑month intelligence‑led hunt was supported by Moldovan authorities, Azerbaijan officials, the IPCU‑CBI, and the ministries of Home and External Affairs.

Dalam is alleged to have links with overseas gangster Harry Chattha and to have operated previously from the UAE before relocating to Moldova. He is accused of orchestrating targeted killings, extortion, and weapons smuggling, and recently claimed responsibility for a shootout that killed gangster Gora Bariar, a rival of the Bambiha, Lucky Patial, and Ghanshampuria gangs. The extradition underscores the growing reach of Punjab’s anti‑organized‑crime initiatives and highlights the importance of cross‑border cooperation in curbing transnational criminal networks, offering a measure of reassurance to communities affected by gang violence in the state.