Suryaa National Desk: Punjab Police have successfully brought back most wanted gangster Gurwinder Singh, alias Afridi, to India from Ethiopia. The operation was conducted in coordination with central investigative agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs. This marks the first time Punjab Police have brought back a fugitive criminal from the African continent.
Gurwinder Singh, a native of Toot village in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, is accused in over 30 serious criminal cases, including murders, kidnappings, and robberies. He carried a reward of ₹5 lakh on his head. He was a key operative in the Danny Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang and allegedly directed targeted killings, extortion, and shooting networks from abroad.
The suspect is a primary accused in five high-profile murder cases, including the killing of Congress block president Gurmail Singh, the October 2024 murder of Sarpanch Rajwinder (Raj Talwandi), and the murder of a 12-year-old boy.
According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, Afridi had fled from Mumbai to the UAE using a fake passport. He attempted to travel to Mexico via Istanbul but was sent back to the UAE. He subsequently sought shelter in Kenya, Angola, and Ethiopia to evade capture.
Under the codename "Operation Shahid," officials from the Counter Intelligence and Anti-Gangster Task Force tracked his movements across Asia, South America, and Africa for 10 months. Upon his arrival at the Delhi International Airport, a special team of Punjab Police took him into custody and transferred him to Punjab for legal proceedings. Punjab Police stated that their objective is to eliminate organized criminal gangs and maintain law and order in the state.
