New Delhi, May 19 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained one Amritpal Singh Hayer, a close aide of Canada based gangsters and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operatives Arshdeep Dalla and Sukhkha Duni.

The source said that Hayer was brought to India from the Philippines with the help of Interpol and other international agencies.

Wanted in several terror related cases, Hayer had been hiding in the Philippines.

The NIA sources said that Hayer was taken into custody from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and then taken to Chandigarh.

"Hayer was handling the entire operation from the Philippines. Hayer is affiliated with the Khalistani Tiger Force group. Hayer hails from Moga district of Punjab and has been involved in a number of murders that took place in Punjab," the source said.

The NIA officials will now interrogate him at their Chandigarh-based zonal office.

"His interrogation will lead us to expose his India network. We hope to make some arrests following his interrogation," said the source.