Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Sep 12: Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has extradited alleged gangster Amritpal Singh alias Amrit Dalam alias Gurpal Singh from Moldova to India following a six-month intelligence-led international operation, 'Operation Eastern Reach'.
Amritpal Singh, who was allegedly working as the main hitman of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, was brought back to India after being arrested in Moldova while allegedly attempting to enter Ukraine.
According to Punjab Police, Amritpal Singh fled India in the last week of October 2024 using a fake passport issued from Chandigarh in the name of Gurpal Singh. He first travelled to the United Arab Emirates before moving through several countries and eventually reaching Moldova.
Moldovan authorities arrested him on February 24, 2026, when he was allegedly attempting to cross the Otaci state border to enter Ukraine. Following his arrest, Punjab Police and central agencies initiated the legal process to secure his extradition.
His location and fake passport details were shared with central agencies, following which the process for issuing a Red Corner Notice was initiated and the notice was subsequently secured.
The AGTF and OFTEC Punjab conducted an intelligence-based international operation for around six months to trace and bring Amritpal Singh back to India. The operation involved continuous surveillance and coordination between multiple agencies in India and abroad.
Punjab Police said the extradition was a significant achievement as it was the force's first extradition from a European country.
The legal process continued for several months following his arrest. On May 26, 2026, a court approved his extradition to India. Amritpal Singh challenged the decision, but the Court of Appeal Centru dismissed his appeal on July 16, 2026, making the extradition order final.
After the legal hurdles were cleared, a four-member Punjab Police team travelled to Moldova to take custody of the accused. The team took Amritpal Singh into custody at Chisinau Airport on September 11 and brought him back to India. The accused and the police team arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on September 12.
According to Punjab Police records, Amritpal Singh faces 21 criminal cases in Punjab. The cases include charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, explosives-related offences, murder, the Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, extortion, the Passport Act and other provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The police record includes five murder cases, nine cases under the Arms Act, one NDPS case and one case related to UAPA and explosives. Of the 21 cases, 17 are currently under investigation, while four are at the trial stage.
The 17 cases under investigation are spread across several districts and commissionerates in Punjab. Seven FIRs are registered in Batala, four in Gurdaspur, two in Amritsar Commissionerate, two in Hoshiarpur, one in Ludhiana Commissionerate and one with the State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar. The four cases at the trial stage are registered in Batala.
Punjab Police has identified Amritpal Singh as an alleged key associate and main hitman of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. His alleged links with organised crime and the multiple cases registered against him had made tracing his international movements a priority for investigating agencies.
His return to India follows a coordinated effort involving Punjab Police, central agencies and authorities in Moldova, culminating in the completion of the extradition process.