KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Sep-2025
The counter-intelligence wing of Amritsar Police on September 20 busted a cross-border narcotics module, arresting one of its operatives, identified as Pawandeep Singh with 5.032 kg of heroin in Amritsar. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Pawandeep confessed to working under the directions of his United States (US)-based handler, Harpal Singh, a native of Kohala village in Amritsar.
20-Sep-2025
Police on September 20 arrested three persons, identified as Jaswant Rai, Paraminder Singh and Hardev Singh and seized 850 grams of opium from them at a naka (checkpoint) near Dhilwan in Kapurthala district.
20-Sep-2025
Jalandhar Police on September 20 confiscated movable and immovable property worth INR 52.8 lakh belonging to an alleged drug smuggler, Barinder Singh, who had been arrested with 1 kg of heroin on May 20.
20-Sep-2025
According to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) data, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (UP) ranked joint second in drug trafficking cases in 2024 with 193 each, while Delhi topped with 208. Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh followed with 113, 103 and 102 cases, respectively. Punjab, however, led in heroin seizures with 1,150 kg confiscated in 2024, compared to 114 kg in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and 63 kg in Haryana. Delhi topped the list of cocaine seizures with a record 1,396 kg, while Maharashtra was a distant second with 37 kg.
19-Sep-2025
On September 19, Punjab Police, on day 202 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 76 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 93 drug smugglers and seized 7.6 kg of heroin, 12 kg of opium, 1687 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 15860 drug money, across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 30,201 in 202 days.
19-Sep-2025
Delhi and Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police on September 19 announced the arrest of the remaining four accused in the firing incident outside actor Disha Patani’s Bareilly home, bringing all six suspects linked to the case into custody. Earlier, on September 17, two gangsters were killed in a police encounter in Ghaziabad, UP.
19-Sep-2025
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on September 19 met a Sikh delegation that submitted recommendations for the safekeeping and public display of the sacred ‘Jore Sahib’—the footwear of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. The delegation, led by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, included eminent Sikh leaders who presented their proposals to the PM.
19-Sep-2025
According to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) data for 2024, sightings and recoveries of narcotics dropped from drones across the border saw a sharp increase, particularly in the border districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur in Punjab. During 2024, Punjab reported 163 cases of drug trafficking via drones, involving the seizure of 187 kg of heroin. Rajasthan followed with 15 such cases, in which 39 kg of heroin was seized.
19-Sep-2025
On September 19, India and Canada took a concrete step towards restoring normalcy in their strained ties, with senior officials meeting in New Delhi and agreeing to revive dialogue mechanisms across trade, defence, energy, civil nuclear cooperation, security, law enforcement, critical minerals, space, science and technology, and agriculture. An Indian readout said both sides also decided to address capacity issues at missions and consulates to strengthen people-to-people links and economic opportunities.
19-Sep-2025
Punjab Police on September 19 busted a drug trafficking network, arrested two drug smugglers, and seized 4 kilograms of heroin from their possession in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
18-Sep-2025
Khanna police on September 18 arrested three persons, identified as Gurlal Singh alias Gora, Mohammad Irshad, and Davinder Singh, and seized 1.005 kg of heroin in Ludhiana district. Investigations revealed that the drug network was being operated from inside Ropar Jail by Lovepreet Singh alias Lavi.
18-Sep-2025
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, on September 18 in New Delhi, held talks with his Canadian counterpart, Nathalie Drouin, signalling efforts to normalise ties and resume high-level exchanges after recent tensions. During the meeting, Doval is learnt to have flagged India’s concerns over the activities of pro-Khalistani groups operating from Canada and sought assurances on the security of Indian diplomats and missions, as both countries work to restore full staffing at their respective embassies.
18-Sep-2025
According to police sources, the Turkey-made Zigana pistol is highly popular among gangsters in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan due to its capacity to fire over 15 rounds, low chance of jamming, and high accuracy. The weapon has been used in the killings of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, Uttar Pradesh (UP) gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, Maharashtra NCP leader Baba Siddique, and in the recent shooting outside Bollywood actress Disha Patani’s residence in Bareilly, UP.
18-Sep-2025
Dal Khalsa, on September 18, announced it will host the “Punjab Summit 2025” in Jalandhar on September 21, bringing together community representatives, activists, and intellectuals to discuss key challenges and draft an action-oriented roadmap. At a press conference, leaders Paramjit Singh Mand, Kanwar Pal Singh, and Paramjeet Singh Tanda said Punjab is “at the crossroads,” facing three acute and escalating threats: alleged extrajudicial killings and custodial torture eroding public trust; “weaponisation of water” through floods and dam mismanagement; and an unchecked influx of migrant labour affecting social cohesion, economic security, and political autonomy.
18-Sep-2025
Punjab Police's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF), on September 18, busted a drug smuggling module operated by foreign-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt, by arresting a key operative, Sajan Singh alias Billa, and seizing 25 packets of heroin weighing 25.9 kg along with a sophisticated 9mm Glock pistol near Beharwal village in Amritsar district. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said Happy Jatt, a proclaimed offender in at least 21 criminal cases, is facing extradition, adding that investigations are underway to expose the module’s wider nexus and linkages.
18-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on September 18 busted a narcotic cartel and arrested four drug traffickers, identified as Honey, Parmdeep Singh, Harwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh recovering a total of 8.062 kg of heroin in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that foreign-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt of Jandiala Guru, Amritsar, had direct links with Pakistan-based smugglers and operated his network through social media platforms.
18-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on September 18 arrested two women drug smugglers, identified as Jasbir Kaur and Kulwinder Kaur and seized 1.004 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar District.
18-Sep-2025
According to reports, Pakistani smugglers exploited the recent floods in Punjab, using boats and tyre tubes on the swollen Ravi and Sutlej rivers to push drugs and weapons into India. Several consignments were recently intercepted by the state police and Border Security Force (BSF), including a boat-borne cache in Fazilka that led to the seizure of 27 pistols and 470 cartridges near Mohar Jamsher village—the first reported instance of weapons being delivered this way. In another case, 16 pistols and about 1,850 cartridges were seized, while police also recovered 20 kg of contraband smuggled via tyre tubes.
18-Sep-2025
On September 18, Punjab Police, on day 201 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 62 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 85 drug smugglers and seized 30.5 kg of heroin, 150 grams of opium, 766 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2290 drug money, across the state. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 30,060 in 201 days.
17-Sep-2025
Former Inspector Suba Singh, serving a life term in the Tarn Taran fake encounter case, died at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, on September 17, six days after being attacked in Patiala Central Jail by inmate Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, accused in the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri. Sunny had allegedly fashioned spoons into sharp weapons and attacked three inmates on the head and face on September 10.
17-Sep-2025
According to Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials, the recent threat by banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) to lay siege to the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, Canada, is part of a broader psychological warfare campaign driven by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), especially after its diplomatic setback during India’s Operation Sindoor. While SFJ is known for inflammatory rhetoric, Indian agencies are not dismissing the threat. Inputs indicate growing frustration among Khalistani groups in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), as their repeated attempts to gain traction in Punjab have failed, prompting them to intensify activities abroad.
17-Sep-2025
Two members of the Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar’s transnational gang, accused of opening fire at Bollywood actor Disha Patani’s ancestral home in Bareilly, identified as Ravindra and Arun were killed in a police encounter in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on September 17. One Delhi Police person was also injured during the operation.
17-Sep-2025
In a joint operation on September 17, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police arrested an unidentified drug peddler and seized 25.9 kg of heroin, a pistol, and two magazines from his possession in Amritsar district.
17-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on September 17 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Yasin Mohammad, and seized 7.122 kg of heroin from his possession in Ajnala, Amritsar district. The investigation revealed that Jagpreet, Yasin’s former jail mate, was also involved in the cartel, which operated through border handovers near Tarn Taran, with Jagpreet handling distribution of the drugs in the Malwa region.
17-Sep-2025
According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) annual report for 2024, released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 16, Punjab topped the country in heroin seizures by drug law enforcement agencies (DLEAs) during 2024. The state accounted for 1,150 kg of heroin out of the 2,596 kg seized nationwide—44.5% of the total—despite having just 2.3% of India’s population. New Delhi ranked second with nearly 234 kg seized, followed by Assam with 186 kg. Punjab also topped in the seizure of habit-forming tablets/pills of all types, with DLEAs confiscating 2.94 crore pills in 2024.