newspop
Chandigarh,Punjab : In a major breakthrough against transnational organised crime, Punjab Police, with assistance from central agencies and international partners has secured the extradition of fugitive criminal Amritpal Singh alias Amrit Dalam, a key operative of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Gang from the Republic of Moldova.
The accused is wanted in multiple criminal cases involving murder, attempt to murder, offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Arms Act and narcotics related offences, among others.
Punjab Police said the extradition marks the first ever extradition secured by the force from a European country, describing it as a significant milestone in its efforts to dismantle transnational organised crime networks and bring fugitives hiding abroad to justice.
The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Eastern Reach involved a six month,intelligence led international manhunt. Sustained surveillance and coordinated efforts by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab and the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) Punjab), in coordination with central agencies and international partners, played a key role in locating and securing the fugitive.
Punjab Police commended the AGTF and OFTEC teams for their sustained efforts and credited the Moldovan and Azerbaijani authorities, Interpol-CBI, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and other central agencies for their cooperation in the extradition process.
The development is being seen as an important step in strengthening India’s efforts to tackle criminal networks operating across international borders.
Punjab Police reiterated that fugitives cannot evade the law by taking shelter overseas and that concerted efforts will continue to bring such criminals back to India to face legal proceedings.
Report – Mudasir Maqbool
