Chandigarh: Punjab Police brought back 17 gangsters from foreign countries, a major achievement that the previous govt failed to accomplish in decades, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema claimed on Monday.He said as part of the ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign, Punjab Police conducted 1.61 lakh raids till Nov 7 and arrested 2,162 proclaimed offenders. The latest breakthrough is the deportation of Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi from Ethiopia, who carried a Rs 5-lakh reward and faces over 30 criminal cases.The minister said, “Gangsters created and nurtured during the Akali-BJP regime and allowed to flourish under the Congress are now being brought to justice. The Bhagwant Mann govt is determined to make Punjab gangster-free and will present strong evidence in courts to secure convictions.”In a press statement, Cheema said, “Under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Mann, Punjab has waged an unprecedented war against gangsterism and anti-social elements. Punjab Police have achieved breakthroughs in tracking down and arresting proclaimed offenders, including several gangsters who had fled abroad to evade the law. Between Jan 20 and Nov 7, 2026, Punjab Police conducted 1,61,266 raids and arrested approximately 2,162 proclaimed offenders.”He said that Punjab Police had successfully brought several gangsters from different countries, including Ramanjit Singh Romi from Hong Kong; Amrit Singh from Maldives; Prabhpreet Singh from Germany; Parminder Singh Pindi from the UAE; Sajjan Mahesh and Sukhdev Kumar Manish Baidi from Indonesia; Ajay Singh, Pawandeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh from Malaysia; and Karmbir Singh Deol from Canada.“Punjab Police achieved another significant breakthrough on Nov 7, 2026, by bringing Gurwinder Singh, alias Afridi, back to India from Ethiopia. Afridi, who heads a gang, is wanted in more than 30 criminal cases and carries a reward of up to Rs 5 lakh. He had procured a fake passport in Uttar Pradesh before travelling to the UAE and subsequently moving to Ethiopia. Punjab Police successfully secured his deportation and brought him back to India to face legal proceedings,” the minister said.
