Chandigarh, Nov 8 — In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police, with support of Central agencies, have secured the deportation of noted gangster Gurwinder alias Afridi from Ethiopia ahead of Diwali, after a sustained one-year manhunt under Operation SHAHID.
Gurwinder alias Afridi is a kingpin of the Doni Bal–Prabh Dassuwal gang and has been under the agencies’ radar for several organised criminal activities in Punjab, including extortion. The Punjab government had also announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
The information about his deportation was shared by the Punjab DGP on Sunday.
"Anti-Gangster Task Force Punjab, in coordination with the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell of Counter Intelligence, Punjab with the support of Central Agencies, secures the deportation of Gurwinder alias Afridi, a key kingpin of the Doni Bal–Prabh Dassuwal gang, from Ethiopia following a 10-month-long international manhunt under Operation SHAHID," DGP Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X.
"We thank the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and all other central agencies as part of this international co-operation," he added.
The DGP also stated that Punjab Police remain committed to dismantling gangster networks, preventing organised crime and ensuring peace and security across the state.
According to the Punjab DGP, the year-long operation by the police and central agencies involved sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and tracking down the accused across several countries in Asia, South America and Africa. Eventually, he was tracked down in Ethiopia and was deported after a 10-month international chase.
Notably, the gangster’s deportation marks a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks and bring gangsters operating from foreign countries to justice.
Meanwhile, further investigation is underway to establish the extent of the accused's alleged involvement in criminal activities and his network's operations in Punjab.