Punjab DGP: 10-month global manhunt ends with gangster Afridi's arrest in Ethiopia
Synopsis
Punjab Police cracked a 10-month, multi-continent manhunt codenamed Operation SHAHID, arresting gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi in Ethiopia — the first time the force has secured a fugitive deportation from an African country. Afridi, wanted in over 30 criminal cases including five murders, had evaded capture across the UAE, Kenya, Angola, and Ethiopia using a fake passport before INTERPOL cooperation finally closed the net.
Key Takeaways
Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi , a key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang , was arrested in Ethiopia after a 10-month international manhunt.
The operation, codenamed 'Operation SHAHID' , is the first-ever fugitive deportation secured by Punjab Police from an African country .
Afridi is wanted in more than 30 criminal cases , including 5 murder cases , extortion, and Arms Act offences.
He fled India via Mumbai airport on 31 March 2025 using a fake passport and evaded arrest across the UAE, Kenya, Angola , and Ethiopia .
Punjab Police secured 7 INTERPOL references and had an INTERPOL Red Notice issued against him before his detention on 6 November 2026 .
He was handed over to Punjab Police at New Delhi Airport and is being brought to Punjab to face trial.
A 10-month intelligence-led international manhunt spanning Asia, South America, and Africa has culminated in the arrest of gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi from Ethiopia, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav announced on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The operation marks a landmark moment in India's cross-border crackdown on organised crime — the first-ever deportation of a fugitive secured by Punjab Police from an African nation.
Who Is Gurwinder Singh Alias Afridi
Afridi is described by Punjab Police as one of the key kingpins of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, a transnational criminal network allegedly responsible for directing targeted killings, extortion-related firing incidents, and organised crime in Punjab while operating from abroad. He is reportedly wanted in more than 30 heinous criminal cases, including five murder cases, multiple counts of attempt to murder, extortion, and offences under the Arms Act. The state government had announced a reward of ₹5 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
How Operation SHAHID Unfolded
The operation, codenamed 'Operation SHAHID', was executed by Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in coordination with the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of Counter Intelligence and central agencies. According to DGP Yadav, Afridi fled India through Mumbai airport on 31 March 2025, travelling to the UAE using a fake passport obtained under the particulars of a Gorakhpur resident — a document issued from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on 12 February 2025.
Investigators say Afridi then attempted to flee to Mexico via Istanbul, but was deported back to the UAE. He subsequently slipped into Kenya in April 2026, moved on to Angola in June 2026, and reached Ethiopia in November 2026. Punjab Police had an INTERPOL Red Notice issued against him and secured seven INTERPOL references, sharing intelligence on his fake identity and movements with central agencies at critical intervals.
Detention, Deportation, and Custody
Afridi was detained in Ethiopia on 6 November 2026 and subsequently deported to India. He was taken into custody by Punjab Police at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and was being transported to Punjab to face trial. DGP Yadav was accompanied at the press briefing by Special DGP (AGTF) Promod Ban and Special DGP (Counter Intelligence) Amit Prasad.
Significance of the Arrest
DGP Yadav described the arrest as a 'major breakthrough' against transnational organised crime, noting it is the first successful fugitive deportation from an African country in Punjab Police's history. The operation fits within the state's broader campaign 'Gangstran Te Vaar' (War on Gangsters), which has sought to dismantle overseas criminal networks directing violence on Indian soil. This comes amid mounting pressure on Indian law enforcement to close gaps exploited by fugitive gangsters who operate terror networks remotely from safe havens abroad. Notably, the use of fake passports and multi-country transit routes has emerged as a recurring pattern across several high-profile gangster arrest cases in recent years.
What Happens Next
Afridi will now face legal proceedings in Punjab across the multiple criminal cases registered against him. The success of Operation SHAHID is likely to strengthen the case for deepening INTERPOL cooperation with African nations, an avenue that has historically seen limited engagement from Indian state police forces.
Point of View
But the more telling detail is the route he took: UAE, Istanbul, Kenya, Angola, Ethiopia — a geography of impunity that exposes how systematically Indian fugitive gangsters exploit visa gaps and weak extradition frameworks across developing nations. Punjab Police's ability to close this net via INTERPOL cooperation with Ethiopia is genuinely new ground, yet the structural loophole — fake passports sourced domestically and used to board international flights — remains unaddressed. Every high-profile cross-border arrest since 2022 has followed a near-identical pattern, suggesting the problem is systemic, not individual. Until India secures binding extradition agreements with the full arc of African and Southeast Asian nations these fugitives favour, 'Operation SHAHID'-style victories will remain costly exceptions rather than routine outcomes.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi?
Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi is reportedly a key kingpin of the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang, a transnational criminal network accused of directing targeted killings, extortion, and organised crime in Punjab from abroad. He is wanted in more than 30 criminal cases, including five murders, and carried a state government reward of ₹5 lakh on information leading to his arrest.
What was Operation SHAHID?
Operation SHAHID was a 10-month covert manhunt conducted by Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC), with support from central agencies and INTERPOL. It tracked Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi across multiple countries — the UAE, Kenya, Angola, and Ethiopia — before his detention on 6 November 2026.
Why is this arrest historically significant?
This is the first time Punjab Police has secured the deportation of a fugitive from an African country. DGP Gaurav Yadav described it as 'a new chapter' in the state's fight against transnational organised crime, as African nations have rarely featured in India's fugitive extradition history.
How did Afridi evade capture for 10 months?
According to Punjab Police, Afridi fled India through Mumbai airport on 31 March 2025 using a fake passport issued from Lucknow under the identity of a Gorakhpur resident. He then moved through the UAE, attempted to reach Mexico via Istanbul, was deported back to the UAE, and subsequently travelled to Kenya, Angola, and Ethiopia.
What happens to Afridi now?
Afridi was taken into custody by Punjab Police at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport following his deportation from Ethiopia and was being transported to Punjab to face legal proceedings. He faces charges across more than 30 criminal cases, including five murder cases, attempt to murder, extortion, and Arms Act offences.
