Punjab Police have secured the deportation of one of the state’s most wanted gangsters, Gurwinder Singh, alias Afridi, from Ethiopia following a 10-month-long international manhunt spanning four countries, officials said.
Afridi, a key operative of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, was detained in Ethiopia on November 6 and brought to India early on Sunday morning.
Before entering the world of crime, Gurwinder, a resident of Toot village in Tarn Taran district, was fond of playing cricket and was known for hitting sixes by stepping out of his crease, much like former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi. His friends and fellow players thus nicknamed him ‘Afridi’, an alias he retained even after turning to crime. He reportedly used the identities ‘Afridi Toot’ and ‘Afridi Toota Wala’ while making extortion calls.
A Punjab Police team took him into custody at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. He is being brought to Punjab to face investigation and legal proceedings in several criminal cases registered against him.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced the successful operation at the Punjab Police headquarters on Sunday, describing it as the first-ever deportation of a fugitive from an African country secured by Punjab Police.
Codenamed “Operation SHAHID”, the operation was conducted by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in coordination with the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of the Counter Intelligence wing and central agencies. The Punjab government had announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to Afridi’s arrest.
According to the DGP, Afridi is wanted in more than 30 criminal cases, including five murder cases, attempted murder, extortion-related firing incidents and offences under the Arms Act. He is accused of directing targeted killings, extortion activities and criminal networks in Punjab while operating from foreign countries.
Yadav said the operation was the culmination of a sustained intelligence-led international pursuit involving surveillance, strategic intelligence gathering and tracking across countries in Asia, South America and Africa.
Sharing details of Afridi’s movements, the DGP said he fled India from Mumbai airport to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 31, 2025, allegedly using a fake passport. The document was reportedly procured fraudulently using the identity details of a Gorakhpur resident and issued from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on February 12, 2025.
After initially taking refuge in the UAE, Afridi attempted to travel to Mexico through Istanbul but was deported back to the UAE. He subsequently managed to enter Kenya in April 2026, travelled to Angola in June and eventually moved to Ethiopia in November, the DGP said.
Punjab Police obtained an Interpol Red Notice against him and shared intelligence inputs regarding his alleged fake identity and movements with central agencies. Seven Interpol references were also issued during the international pursuit, eventually helping investigators trace and detain him in Ethiopia.
Afridi is linked to five high-profile murders in Punjab. These include the killing of sarpanch Rajwinder Singh, alias Raj Talwandi, in October 2024, 12-year-old Gursewak Singh and Vicky Chugh in March 2025, Jaswant Singh in May 2025 and Congress block president Gurmel Singh in September 2025.
He has also figured in investigations into the desecration of a church at Thakkarpura village in Tarn Taran on August 31, 2022. In the incident, four masked men allegedly vandalised the statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary and set the pastor’s car on fire before escaping.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of inspector general of police (IGP), Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell, Ashish Chaudhary and led by SP (AGTF/OFTEC operations) Bikramjit Singh Brar. Yadav commended the teams involved and acknowledged the cooperation extended by the ministry of external affairs, ministry of home affairs and central intelligence and enforcement agencies.
The operation reinforces the state government’s ongoing anti-gangster campaign, ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’, aimed at intensifying action against organised crime and bringing fugitive gangsters operating from overseas to justice, the DGP said.
17 gangsters brought back from abroad in 6 months: Cheema
Punjab cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said the Bhagwant Mann government has brought back 17 gangsters from foreign countries in just six months, sending a clear message to gangsters that no matter where they flee or hide, they would be brought back.
Addressing a press conference here, Cheema claimed that gangsters allowed to flourish under the previous governments were now being brought to justice. He referred to the deportation of Gurwinder Singh, alias Afridi, from Ethiopia, who carried a ₹5 lakh reward and faces over 30 criminal cases. He said that under the state government’s anti-gangster campaign, police have conducted 1.61-lakh raids and arrested 2,162 proclaimed offenders.
He said Punjab Police had successfully brought several gangsters back from different countries, including Ramanjit Singh Romi from Hong Kong, Amrit Singh from the 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.