The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested two alleged key associates of Canada-based “listed individual terrorist” Arshdeep Singh Gill aka Arsh Dalla, soon after they landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from Manila in Philippines.
The accused have been identified as Manpreet Singh aka Peeta and Mandeep Singh. A special court had recently issued non-bailable arrest warrants against them on charges of their involvement in terror acts, including threats and intimidation, and funding terrorist organisations in India. Originally from Punjab, the two had been living in Manila. They were arrested in the early hours.
“NIA investigations had revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the Khalistan Tiger Force [KTF], a banned terrorist organisation. They were also engaged in the smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives for the KTF from across the border,” read the agency’s statement.
The duo had been working for Arsh Dalla, who has been operating from Canada for the past three to four years and is allegedly involved in several killings in Punjab. “He has been guiding and commissioning terrorist acts and also promoting terror, violence and large scale extortion in India on behalf of the KTF,” it said.
Recruitment of youth
Apart from smuggling weapons from Pakistan, Peeta and Mandeep Singh were into recruitment of youth at the behest of the KTF. They were also part of Arsh Dalla’s extortion racket and would identify the targets, including businessmen, for issuing threats and coercing the victims into paying up huge amounts of protection money. Their India-based associates would even open fire at the homes and other premises of the victims to scare them.
The arrests have been made in a case registered by the NIA on August 20, 2022, under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in connection with the terror activities of banned terrorist organisations in the country.
