On Friday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successfully apprehended two close associates of Arsh Dhalla, a listed terrorist based in Canada. The arrests took place at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) when the individuals, identified as Amritpal Singh, also known as Ammy, and Amritk Singh, arrived from Manila, Philippines, where they had been residing.
The NIA had been actively pursuing these individuals due to non-bailable arrest warrants issued against them by the NIA Delhi Court. These warrants were a result of their involvement in a case related to unlawful and violent activities carried out by banned organizations within India. Furthermore, they had multiple criminal cases registered against them in Punjab.
The NIA had initiated a suo moto case (RC-37/2022/NIA/DLI) on August 20th of the previous year. This case, registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, revealed that the accused had engaged in a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the banned terrorist organization Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Additionally, they were involved in smuggling arms, ammunition, and explosives across the border.
The investigations conducted by the NIA shed light on the accused’s activities, which primarily revolved around promoting the violent criminal agenda of the KTF in India under the guidance of Arshdeep Singh Dhalla. Together with another wanted accused, Manpreet Singh, alias Peeta, they were responsible for smuggling weapons from Pakistan and recruiting youth for carrying out acts of violence and terrorism on behalf of the KTF.
Moreover, the accused were implicated in an extortion racket aimed at raising funds for the banned outfit. Their modus operandi involved identifying potential targets, including businessmen, and then resorting to intimidation tactics to extort significant sums of money. In cases where the targets refused to comply, their residences and other properties would be subjected to arson attacks orchestrated by the accused’s associates based in India.
The recent arrests represent a significant milestone in NIA’s relentless pursuit of individual terrorists and terrorist organizations engaged in various criminal activities, such as the smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, and fundraising for executing terrorist acts on Indian soil.
The NIA’s investigations into this case are currently ongoing as they strive to unravel additional details and dismantle the entire network associated with these nefarious activities.
