IndiPosted at: Jul 6 2021 10:13PM

NIA arrests arms trafficker from Meerut in Khalistani extortion case

New Delhi, Jul 6 (UNI) The anti-terror federal probe agency NIA on Tuesday said that it has arrested an arms trafficker Gagandeep Singh, a resident of Firozpur, from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh in connection with a case relating to extortion racket by Khalistani terrorists in Moga district of Punjab.

Arrested Gagandeep was later produced before a special NIA Court in Mohali which sent him to NIA custody for eight days.

Officials in the probe agency said investigation by the agency revealed that absconding accused Arshdeep Singh “is a close associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (a designated terrorist and chief of Khalistan Tiger Force)”. It was later found that Gagandeep was a “close associate” of Arshdeep, they added.

They also said that Gangandeep was involved in smuggling of weapons and on the directions of Arshdeep, he had supplied the weapons including 9mm pistols and country made pistols to the other arrested accused persons, which were further used in killing and extorting money from businessmen in the state of Punjab.

The case was originally registered by Punjab Police in Moga after receiving information that Arshdeep, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku and Ramandeep Singh alias Jajj, all currently abroad, had formed a gang and are threatening and extorting money from people.

Later NIA took over the probe in the case on June 10, 2021.

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