ISI’s zero-risk Khalistan mission: Use gangsters in Canada to strike in India

The National Investigation Agency has been coordinating with the Interpol to extradite terrorists from abroad who are operating to re-establish the Khalistan movement in India

Since the activation of the K2 desk, the number of attacks in Punjab have gone up.

The K2 desk is a brainchild of Pakistan's ISI, which focuses on carrying out terror attacks in Kashmir and Punjab. K refers to both Kashmir and Khalistan, an Intelligence Bureau report of 2019 stated. This desk is driven by the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KLF) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad, an Intelligence Bureau official told OneIndia.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has stepped up the heat on the K2 desk and has been relentlessly pushing for the extradition of scores of pro-Khalistan elements who operate out of Canada, Germany, Italy just to name a few. The modus operandi, the official cited above says is to use the gangster network to under acts of terror in India. These gangsters hire local goons to carry out terror attacks. This is an easier way for the ISI to operate as it would not have to take pains in sending terrorists from across the border.

The intention is to keep Punjab and other parts of the country under boil, without having to invest must into the logistics, the official further explained.

In December, two top Khalistani terrorists were arrested upon their arrival in India. The coordination between the NIA and the Interpol led to the arrests of Bikramjit Singh alias Bikkar Panjwar from Australia and Harpeet Singh alias Happy Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur.

On January 9 2023, the NIA was also successful in getting Canada-based Arsh Dalla designated as an individual terrorist by the Union Home Ministry.

On Wednesday, the NIA declared a reward of Rs 15 lakh for information relating to Lakhbhir Singh Sandhu alias Landa in connection with a terror case in Punjab. Landa is currently residing in Edmonton, Canada and is wanted by the NIA in connection with the grenade attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022.

The NIA learnt that terror outfits and terror elements based outside India are operating in tandem with leaders and members of organised criminal gangs.

"It had emerged that the terror-gangster-drug smuggler network was also engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition, explosives, IEDs across border through a widespread inter-state network of gunrunners, illegal arms and ammunition manufacturers and suppliers and explosive traffickers," a spokesperson for the NIA said.

The masterminds who are operating primarily out of Canada had managed to carry out five terror attacks in Punjab in 15 months. It was found that five of these attacks were masterminded by gangsters. The probe showed both the gangsters and terrorists have been complimenting each other in trying carry out terror attacks in Punjab. The sole intent is the revival of the Khalistan movement.

It was found that the Khalistan terrorists are in touch with the gangsters operating from abroad. They in turn are used to use local gangsters to carry out attacks, smuggle arms and explosives. While this serves the purpose, it also gives the ISI a deniability factor as the blame falls on local gangsters. The gangsters are easy to source as they are ready to carry out such attacks for the money, the investigations have also found.