Wanted in over 30 heinous criminal cases, carried ₹5 lakh reward: Punjab gangster Gurwinder alias Afridi brought back to India

Gangster Gurwinder alias Afridi, wanted in more than 30 heinous criminal cases, was brought to India from Ethiopia by the Punjab Police on Sunday. Police sources told HT that this was the first time the Punjab Police had secured the return of a fugitive from an African country.

Afridi, a resident of Tut village in Tarn Taran district, carried a ₹5 lakh reward announced by the Punjab government. Officials said he was taken into custody by the state police at Delhi airport during the intervening night of November 7 and 8 and was being brought to Punjab to face legal proceedings.

Who is gangster Gurwinder alias Afridi?

An alleged key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, he is accused of directing targeted killings, extortion-related firing incidents and organised criminal networks in Punjab while operating from abroad, news agency PTI reported.

He is reportedly wanted in more than 30 serious criminal cases, including five murder cases, attempted murder, extortion and offences under the Arms Act.

His name surfaced during the investigation into an attack on a church in Thakkarpura village of Tarn Taran on August 31, 2022. Four masked men allegedly held the church's security guard at gunpoint, damaged statues of Lord Jesus and Mother Mary, and set the pastor's car on fire before escaping.

In June 2024, Amritsar Rural Police arrested Jaswinder Singh, alias Munshi, describing him as a key accused in the case. During his initial questioning, Munshi allegedly identified Afridi and two others as his associates in the attack, HT had reported earlier. Police then began searching for the remaining suspects.

Police have linked Afridi to five high-profile murders in Punjab. These include the killings of Sarpanch Rajwinder, alias Raj Talwandi, in October 2024; a 12-year-old in March 2025; Vicky Chugh in March 2025; Jaswant Singh in May 2025; and Congress block president Gurmel Singh in September 2025.

How he was caught

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said Afridi left India from Mumbai airport for the UAE on March 31, 2025. He allegedly travelled using a fake passport obtained with the details of a resident of Gorakhpur. The passport was issued in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on February 12, 2025.

"The accused was constantly evading law enforcement agencies across several continents," Yadav said. He added that Afridi initially stayed in the UAE before attempting to reach Mexico through Istanbul. However, he was deported to the UAE.

Afridi later entered Kenya in April 2026, travelled to Angola in June 2026 and moved to Ethiopia in November 2026, where he was eventually arrested.

Yadav said the Punjab Police had secured an Interpol Red Notice against Afridi and regularly shared information about his false identity and movements with central agencies.

“This marks the successful culmination of ‘Operation SHAHID’, a 10-month-long intelligence-led international manhunt involving sustained surveillance, strategic intelligence gathering and tracking across multiple countries in Asia, South America and Africa, executed in close coordination with national and international agencies," he said.

Operation SHAHID was carried out under the supervision of Ashish Chaudhary, IGP (Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell or OFTEC) of the Counter Intelligence wing, who oversaw international coordination and follow-up efforts. The operation was led by Bikramjit Singh Brar, SP (Anti-Gangster Task Force/OFTEC OPs).