Punjab Police arrest 3 Bambiha gang operatives deported from Malaysia
Synopsis
Three Bambiha gang operatives sheltering in Malaysia for years — linked to murder, extortion, a foiled grenade attack, and alleged ISI connections — have been arrested at Delhi airport after a months-long intelligence operation by Punjab's OFTEC. The arrests signal a new phase in India's cross-border crackdown on Punjab's gangster diaspora.
Key Takeaways
Punjab Police arrested three Davinder Bambiha gang operatives deported from Malaysia on 19 August .
The accused — Jaspreet Singh (Faridkot), Ajay Singh , and Pawandeep Singh (both Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan) — were held at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi .
They face charges including murder , extortion , explosives , and a 2025 Ludhiana hand-grenade plot with alleged ISI links .
Ludhiana Police had foiled the grenade attack on 27 October 2025 , recovering a P86 Chinese hand grenade .
OFTEC , set up under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann , conducted the months-long intelligence operation leading to the deportation.
Three wanted operatives of the Davinder Bambiha gang have been arrested by Punjab Police after being deported from Malaysia to India, in what officials described as a major breakthrough against transnational organised crime. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed the development on Wednesday, 19 August, crediting a sustained intelligence-led operation by the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) of the Counter Intelligence Wing, working in coordination with central agencies.
Who Was Arrested
The three deported accused have been identified as Jaspreet Singh, alias Jas Behbal, a resident of Faridkot, and Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh, both residents of Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. All three were intercepted and arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi upon landing and were subsequently transferred to Punjab for further investigation.
Key Charges and Criminal Links
According to Additional Director General of Police (Counter Intelligence) Amit Prasad, all three are described as key Malaysia-based operatives of the Bambiha Gang, wanted in multiple cases involving murder, extortion, explosives, and a planned hand-grenade blast in Ludhiana — with alleged links to Pakistan's ISI.
Inspector General of Police (OFTEC) Ashish Choudhary said Jaspreet Singh had travelled to Malaysia in June 2019, where he came into contact with a fugitive gangster and was gradually recruited into the Bambiha Gang. He has since been formally arrested in connection with the 2025 murder of Yadwinder Singh and the driver of Jeewanjot Singh Chahal, a former Panjab University, Chandigarh student leader.
Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh are accused of tasking ground operatives to carry out a hand-grenade attack in Ludhiana city in 2025. The plot was averted by Ludhiana Commissionerate Police, which arrested two associates and recovered one P86 Chinese hand grenade on 27 October 2025.
How the Operation Unfolded
ADGP Prasad said the deportation was the culmination of a sustained, months-long intelligence operation during which the movements and activities of the three fugitives were closely tracked. Coordinated efforts ultimately led to their detention in Malaysia before their formal deportation to India. This is the latest in a series of cross-border operations targeting Punjab-linked gangsters sheltering abroad.
OFTEC and the Broader Anti-Gang Drive
OFTEC was established on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann specifically to track criminals operating from foreign soil and expedite their extradition. The cell's latest success underscores Punjab's increasing reliance on intelligence-sharing frameworks with foreign jurisdictions to dismantle gang networks that have increasingly moved their command structures overseas, reportedly to evade domestic law enforcement.
With these three arrests, authorities say they expect to extract critical intelligence on the Bambiha Gang's overseas funding channels and operational hierarchy — details that could inform further extraditions.
Point of View
But three arrests do not dismantle a network with reported ISI linkages and overseas financing. The deeper question is whether India's bilateral arrangements with Malaysia — and other countries hosting Punjab-linked fugitives — are robust enough to sustain this momentum, or whether these deportations remain exceptional wins rather than systematic outcomes.
NationPress
19 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three Bambiha gang members arrested after deportation from Malaysia?
The three are Jaspreet Singh alias Jas Behbal of Faridkot, and Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh , both from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. All three are described as key Malaysia-based operatives of the Davinder Bambiha gang, wanted in cases involving murder, extortion, and a planned grenade attack in Ludhiana.
What is OFTEC and how did it secure the deportation?
OFTEC — the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell — is a unit of Punjab Police's Counter Intelligence Wing, established on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to track and extradite criminals abroad. It conducted a months-long intelligence operation, tracking the trio's movements in Malaysia before coordinating their detention and deportation to India.
What crimes are the deported accused charged with?
The three face charges including murder, extortion, and possession of explosives. Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh are specifically accused of orchestrating a hand-grenade attack in Ludhiana in 2025, which was foiled by police on 27 October 2025. Jaspreet Singh is formally arrested in connection with the 2025 murder of Yadwinder Singh and the driver of former Panjab University leader Jeewanjot Singh Chahal.
What was the Ludhiana grenade plot?
Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh allegedly tasked ground operatives to carry out a hand-grenade blast in Ludhiana city in 2025. Ludhiana Commissionerate Police averted the attack, arresting two associates and recovering one P86 Chinese hand grenade on 27 October 2025.
What is the Davinder Bambiha gang?
The Davinder Bambiha gang is a Punjab-based criminal organisation involved in murder, extortion, and organised crime, with operatives reportedly operating from foreign countries including Malaysia. Authorities allege the gang has links to Pakistan's ISI, making it a transnational security concern.
