Chandigarh, November 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Police has arrested alleged gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi in Ethiopia following a 10-month international manhunt spanning Asia, South America and Africa, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday.
Afridi, described by the DGP as a key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh announced by the Punjab government. He is wanted in more than 30 criminal cases, including five murder cases, attempted murder, extortion and offences under the Arms Act.
Yadav said the arrest followed a coordinated operation involving the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of Counter Intelligence and central agencies. The fugitive was detained in Ethiopia on November 6 and subsequently deported to India. Punjab Police took him into custody at New Delhi airport and is bringing him to Punjab.
The DGP described the operation, codenamed ‘Operation SHAHID’, as a major breakthrough under the ongoing ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ campaign. He said it was the first time Punjab Police had secured the deportation of a fugitive from an African country.
According to Yadav, Afridi fled India through Mumbai airport on March 31, 2025, travelling to the UAE on a fake passport issued in Lucknow on February 12, 2025, using the particulars of a Gorakhpur resident.
He initially stayed in the UAE and later attempted to travel to Mexico via Istanbul but was deported back to the UAE. He subsequently moved to Kenya in April 2026, Angola in June and Ethiopia in November, the DGP said.
Punjab Police had secured an INTERPOL Red Notice against him and shared intelligence about his alleged false identity and movements with central agencies. Seven INTERPOL references were also issued during the pursuit, Yadav added.
The DGP said Afridi is accused of directing targeted killings, firing incidents linked to extortion and operating criminal networks in Punjab while based abroad. These allegations will now be pursued through the legal process.
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