Chandigarh, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Bhagwant Mann government’s campaigns against drugs and organised crime have extended beyond Punjab, with the state police bringing back more than a dozen gangsters from foreign countries, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, Pannu said the latest case involved Karamveer Singh alias Karamveer Deo, also known as Dev, a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. He said Deo was deported from Canada and apprehended by the Punjab Police at Delhi airport before being brought into the process of returning him to Punjab by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).
Pannu said the Mann government had made the fight against drugs and organised crime a priority and had strengthened the Punjab Police with modern technology and equipment.
“Since coming to power, the Bhagwant Mann Government has made the fight against drugs and gangsters a top priority. We have taken decisive action to dismantle criminal networks operating in Punjab and have pursued gangsters even when they fled abroad,” he said.
He said gangsters had been brought back from countries including the US, Dubai, Malaysia and Moldova. Those named by Pannu included Sachin Bishnoi, Manpreet Singh alias Pita, Ramanjit Singh alias Romi, Parminder Singh alias Pindi, Anmol Bishnoi, Amritpal alias Mehro, Gurvinder Singh and Jobandeep Singh alias Joban Billa.
Pannu said Anmol Bishnoi, described by him as a major gangster and close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was brought back from the US. Amritpal alias Mehro, accused in the murder of an Instagram influencer, was brought from Dubai, while Gurvinder Singh was brought from Malaysia.
He also said the AGTF recently brought gangster Amritpal alias Amrit Dalam from Moldova. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann subsequently met the team and appreciated its efforts, Pannu said.
Comparing the current government’s approach with previous regimes, Pannu alleged that gangsterism had expanded significantly between 2007 and 2017 and continued to pose a challenge during the Congress government from 2017 to 2022.
He alleged that the previous Congress government had brought a gangster from Uttar Pradesh to a Punjab jail and provided him “VIP treatment”, forcing the Uttar Pradesh government to approach the Supreme Court for his return.
“We changed this approach. The Punjab Police launched a sustained crackdown against gangsters and continued pursuing them even after they fled abroad. More than a dozen gangsters have so far been brought back from foreign countries through sustained efforts by the Punjab Police,” Pannu said.
He also defended the government against Opposition criticism, saying the Opposition was attempting to defame the Punjab government without acknowledging action against organised crime.
Highlighting the modernisation of the police force, Pannu said the government had strengthened the force with advanced technology and equipment, going beyond merely providing better vehicles.
Referring to a recent Ludhiana encounter, he said police had received prior information about a planned attack on a blood donation camp, allowing them to intervene before the alleged criminals could execute the plan.
Pannu further said the Punjab Police was pursuing criminals even in countries where India does not have extradition treaties, while cooperation from foreign countries was also improving as such criminals had become a concern for those jurisdictions.
“The message from the Mann Government is clear: Punjab is in safe hands. Anyone who commits crime in Punjab and threatens its people will be pursued wherever they hide,” he said.
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