Marking a significant success in ongoing efforts to track and bring back offenders evading justice overseas amidst the ongoing ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, most-wanted gangster Amritpal Singh alias Amrit Dalam has been detained at the Moldova border, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.
The fugitive Amritpal Dalam was detained on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice (Red Corner Notice) issued at the request of Punjab Police in coordination with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Interpol and other central agencies. Pertinently, on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police has recently established Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC), headed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Counter Intelligence Ashish Choudhary, to reach out the criminals sitting abroad and expedite their extradition process to bring them back to Punjab to face legal action.
As per the information, Amritpal Singh alias Amrit Dalam, a native of Dalam Nangal village in Batala, closely aligned with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and had fled abroad using fraudulent passport. He has been actively making extortion calls targeting individuals and business owners, particularly in the Amritsar region.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that Amritpal Singh is wanted in multiple serious criminal cases including drug smuggling, murders, attempt to murders, etc in Punjab and had been absconding abroad for a considerable period. “His (Amrit Dalam’s) detention follows sustained international coordination and persistent follow-up by Punjab Police agencies,” he said, while adding that legal and diplomatic procedures are now underway to secure his extradition/deportation to India so that he can face the law.
The DGP said that the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of Punjab Police is currently pursuing various criminals hiding abroad.