New Delhi. Two key operatives of Canada-based listed terrorist’ Arsh Dala were arrested by NIA in an early morning operation (on 11th August, 2023), as soon as they landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from Manila, Philippines.
Manpreet Singh @ Peeta and Mandeep Singh were both ‘wanted’ close operatives of Dala and had non-bailable arrest warrants against them for carrying out terror acts, including threats and intimidation, and terror funding for banned terrorist organisations in India. Originally from Punjab, they had been living in Manila and were nabbed by the NIA team waiting at the airport, the moment they landed.
NIA investigations had revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a banned terrorist organisation. They were also engaged in smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives for the KTF from across-the-border.
The duo had been working for individual “listed terrorist’ Arshdeep Singh Dala who has been operating from Canada for the last 3-4 years and got many terrorist killings in Punjab over the last few years. He has been guiding and commissioning terrorist acts and also promoting terror, violence and largescale extortion in India on behalf of the KTF. Besides smuggling weapons from Pakistan, they were also involved in recruitment of youth to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF.
Peeta and Mandeep were also part of an extensive extortion racket for raising funds for the KTF and Arsh Dalla. They used to identify extortion targets, including businessmen, and threaten them into paying up huge amounts. Their India-based associates would even open fire at the homes and other premises of the identified targets who refused to pay up, thus forcing them to succumb to their threats and extortions.
The NIA Delhi Court had issued non-bailable warrants against them earlier in a case related to the terrorist activities of banned pro-Khalistan terrorist organisations in India. The two also have several criminal cases registered against them in Punjab.
NIA had registered a suo-moto case on 20th August, 2022 under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in connection with the terror activities of banned terrorist organisations in India. The agency has been cracking down on individual terrorist outfits and terrorists conspiring to smuggle terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition, explosives etc, and raise funds for carrying out terrorist acts in India.