Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 9
In a major success, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested a key aide of foreign-based terrorists Harwinder Sandhu, alias Rinda, and Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa, after securing his extradition from the UAE.
The accused has been identified as Tarsem Singh, who is a real brother of designated individual terrorist Landa. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) had been issued against Tarsem in June 2023.
He was initially picked up from Abu Dhabi in November 2023 following the issuance of the NBW by a special NIA court and the subsequent Red Corner Notice issued by the Interpol. He was a key member of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) outfit and was extradited from the UAE to India on Friday.
Tarsem was involved in arranging and providing terror funds to India-based associates of Rinda and Landa. He was also involved in the channelisation of terror funds through multiple routes.
The NIA had registered a case suo motu on August 20, 2022, which relates to terror activities of chiefs/members of proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and BKI.
These outfits have been using gangsters to smuggle arms, ammunition and IEDs from across the border. They had been into smuggling narcotics, extortions and hawala trading to generate funds for carrying out terror activities on the Indian soil, revealed the NIA probe.