Police bust extortion racket run by KTF operative in Moga, 4 aides held

The Moga police have uncovered an extortion racket being run by Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dala, a close aide of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The district police on Tuesday arrested four associates of Dala from Bughipura Chowk in Moga with a 30-bore pistol and ₹3 lakh extortion money

The Moga police have uncovered an extortion racket being run by Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dala, a close aide of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The district police on Tuesday arrested four associates of Dala from Bughipura Chowk in Moga with a 30-bore pistol and ₹3 lakh extortion money. The accused were identified as Balwinder Singh alias Labha, Gurjant Singh and Gurlal Singh of Ferozepur and Kamardeep Singh of Barnala.

In the past few months, a number of people in Moga and Ferozepur districts have got threat calls from gangsters demanding extortion money. (Representational photo)

Inspector Tarlochan Singh said that in the past few months, a number of people in Moga and Ferozepur districts got threatening calls from gangsters demanding extortion money. “The gangster had taken ₹4.20 lakh extortion from a Zira-based medical store owner, Varinder Kumar Grover. Following this, a joint operation was started to nab these people,” he said. “Category A gangsters Arsh Dala and Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, who is in Manila were running an extortion racket with help of the four arrested accused. Dala and Peeta used to make extortion calls to people from foreign countries through WhatsApp. If anyone refused to pay extortion money, they used to send Labha, Gurjant, Gurlal and Kamardeep open fire outside the residences of those persons,” he said.

He said police got a tip-off that all four accused were travelling to Jalandhar via Barnala-Moga Road to commit a crime. “We laid a trap and the accused were nabbed along with a weapon. ₹3 lakh extortion money was recovered from the house of Kamardeep,” he added. A case was registered under Sections 386 and 412 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Arms Act at Mehanna police station.