The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday achieved a significant success in its fight against pro-Khalistan terrorism with the extradition of Tarsem Singh, a key associate of notorious foreign-based terrorists Harwinder Sandhu (Rinda) and Lakhbir Singh (Landa).
Singh was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India on Friday, added NIA sources.
According to the officials Tarsem Singh, who hails from Tarn Taran in Punjab, was wanted by the agency under a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued in June 2023.
He is the brother of Lakhbir Singh Landa, a designated individual terrorist. Singh was initially detained in Abu Dhabi in November 2023 following the NBW and a Red Corner Notice issued by INTERPOL.
Singh is a prominent member of the Babbar Khalistan International (BKI) terrorist organization and has been a crucial terror node for Rinda and Landa in the UAE.
As per the NIA investigation, Tarsem was actively involved in arranging and providing terror funds to India-based associates of Sandhu alias Rinda and Landa. He was also involved in the channelisation of terror funds through multiple routes.
NIA had registered the case suo moto on August 20, 2022. The case relates to terror activities of chiefs/members of proscribed terrorist organisations, such as Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), BKI, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) etc, who have established a massive network of terror operators across India.
The NIA investigations have revealed that these outfits are working through operatives or members of terror outfits and organized criminal gangs to smuggle arms, ammunition, explosives, IEDs etc from across the border. They have been using, narcotics trafficking, extortion, hawala trading, etc to generate funds for carrying out terrorist activities on Indian soil.