Ludhiana: The interception of a 'hit squad' in Punjab has exposed the far-reaching influence of a deadly diaspora crime network controlled from Germany, Dubai, and Malaysia, successfully preventing targeted killings in Punjab and Haryana.
Arrests and Seizures
After arresting two alleged hitmen on May 17, the Ludhiana police and counter-intelligence units on Saturday seized two hand grenades and arrested two more suspects linked to a major foreign-based terror-gangster syndicate that was plotting high-profile assassinations.
Ludhiana's police commissioner, Swapan Sharma, stated that the latest arrested men — Karandeep Singh of Tarn Taran and Baljeet Singh of Amritsar — had prior criminal records for attempted murder and drug trafficking. They led officers to an abandoned field in Amritsar where the explosives were buried.
'Interrogations since the May 17 arrests near Ladhowal led us to these suspects and the grenades,' Commissioner Sharma said. 'This operation has neutralised a significant terror threat to the region.'
Network Structure
Police say an alliance of exiled Indian gangsters and syndicates operating from Germany, Dubai, and Malaysia directs this network. Malaysia-based fugitive Akashdeep Singh, who coordinated with Dubai-based operative Sahil Sondh, had recruited Karandeep and Baljeet, who have confessed they were lured into the plot by promises of cash payouts.
Earlier Arrests
The investigation opened mid-month when police intercepted the cell's primary hitmen, Anuraj Masih and Ankush Singh, near Ladhowal. Officers seized three pistols and 11 rounds of ammunition. The pair revealed they had conducted surveillance to execute five high-profile crimes.
They were tasked with committing a contract killing in Haryana's Kurukshetra, a targeted assassination in Punjab's Khanna, and three extortion-related shootings across Punjab's Moga, Faridkot, and Tarn Taran districts. Detectives traced the cell's command structure back to a fugitive mastermind, Lakha, residing in Europe.
Past Incidents
Intelligence files link Lakha's network to several recent major incidents, including the November 2025 assassination of regional political figure Naveen Arora in Ferozepur, a February shooting targeting labourers from other states in Moga, and a grenade attack on a Haryana petrol station.
Police expect further arrests and weapons seizures as the joint counter-terrorism operation continues.
