2 Key Aides of Canada-based 'listed Terrorist' Arrested by NIA on Arrival at Delhi Airport

Two key aides of Canada-based “listed terrorist” Arsh Dala were arrested on Friday, soon after their arrival at the Delhi airport from the Philippines, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

Manpreet Singh alias “Peeta” and Mandeep Singh were “close operatives” of Dala and had non-bailable arrest warrants against them for carrying out terror acts, including threats and intimidation, and terror funding, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

Originally from Punjab, they had been living in Manila in the Philippines and were nabbed by an NIA team at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here.

“The investigations had revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a banned terrorist organisation. They were also engaged in smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives for the KTF from across the border,” the spokesperson said.

“Besides smuggling weapons from Pakistan, they were involved in recruitment of youths to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF,” the spokesperson said.

The official said the duo had been working for Dala who has been operating from Canada for the past three-four years and got executed many killings in Punjab over the past few years.

According to the NIA, both Peeta and Singh were part of an extensive extortion racket for raising funds for the KTF and Dalla. “They used to identify extortion targets, including businessmen, and threaten them to pay up huge amounts,” the agency said.

A special NIA court in Delhi had issued non-bailable warrants against them earlier in a case related to terrorist activities of the banned pro-Khalistan terrorist organisations in India.

The two also have several criminal cases registered against them in Punjab.

The NIA had registered a case suo motu on August 20 last year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with terror activities of the banned terrorist organisations in the country.

The agency has been cracking down on terrorist outfits and individual terrorists conspiring to smuggle terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition and explosives into the country and raise funds for carrying out terrorist acts.