Believed to have been hiding in Canada, Landa was the mastermind of several cases, including the 2022 RPG attacks on the police headquarters.
Punjab police arrest wanted drug smuggler. Representational image. (iStock)
Continuing its crackdown against Khalistani terrorists, Punjab police on Sunday, 3 September, launched a special cordon and search operation (CASO) at suspected hideouts of 297 persons linked with terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa.
Believed to have been hiding in Canada since 2017, Landa was the mastermind in several cases of terrorism, including the 2022 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacks on the police intelligence headquarters and the Sarhali police station in Punjab.
On 25 August, the NIA court ordered the confiscation of his property in Tarn Taran district. Landa is believed to be running a big gangster nexus in Punjab and thus police launched this mega raid.
The simultaneous raids were conducted from 6 am to 10 am on Sunday wherein, all the residential and other premises linked to at least 297 close associates of Landa were thoroughly searched in all the 28 police districts in the state.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said that all the Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police were directed to depute strong police parties led by an inspector or sub-inspector to make the operation successful and were also asked to round up suspicious persons during the operation.
“Since CASO was planned after the questioning of several people in the recently busted modules backed by Lakhbir Landa, the department deputed 150 parties involving 1200 police personnel of Punjab police to carry out these raids across the state,” said Shukla.
“Several persons have been detained for further verification and incriminating material has been seized from their possession, which is being further examined. During the operation, the police teams conducted thorough searches at the houses and other premises linked with these criminals and also collected the data from electronic devices, which will be sent for forensic examination,” added him.
“Police teams have also checked arms licenses and questioned people about the sourcing of ammunition, besides gathering travel details of foreign-based family members, bank transactions from abroad and property details, for further examination,” the DGP said.
It may be noted that the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has launched a crackdown on the gangster-terrorist-drug smuggler nexus being operated from abroad and several similar raids have been conducted in the past.
Landa, a resident of Tarn Taran in Punjab, has been declared absconder and has a cash reward of ₹15 lakh for any information leading to his arrest.
According to the NIA, Landa has been continuing his anti-India activities from Canada. He has been working for Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and its Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist operative Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda.
Landa and other foreign-based Khalistani terrorists are engaged in the smuggling of terrorist hardware, including arms, ammunition, explosives, and custom-made ready-to-use IEDs, along with other types of contraband, including drugs, from across the border.
They are also involved in carrying out terrorist activities in India, as per NIA investigations.
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