Punjab Police has brought back alleged gangster associate Amrit Dalam alias Amritpal Singh, linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, from Moldova after a long-term international search. The accused had fled India in October 2024 with a forged passport and remained outside the country until his detention in Moldova.
Punjab Police said the accused was detained after a six-month-long operation by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and the Organised Crime Control and Forensic Technology Cell (OFTEC). A four-member Punjab Police team went to Moldova and took him into custody before he was brought back to Punjab on September 11.
The development is viewed as a major success for Punjab Police in the chase of criminal suspects who leave the country to evade investigation and arrest.
Amrit Dalam linked to Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Gang
Amrit Dalam (Amritpal Singh) is linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, a criminal gang that is involved in several serious criminal cases in Punjab police.
Police said the accused had left India in October 2024 with the help of a forged passport. As soon as he fled from the country, investigators followed him and his movements around the world.
The investigation eventually led authorities to Moldova, where he was detained following coordinated efforts of Punjab Police's AGTF and OFTEC teams.
Six-month-long Operation Eastern Reach
The operation to find and bring back Amrit Dalam was conducted under the name of Operation Eastern Reach. The operation lasted around six months and involved tracing the accused beyond India’s borders.
Punjab Police’s emphasis on a criminal network that operates globally has only grown more keen. More and more investigators have been working with the agencies and the authorities in other countries to find suspects who fled India after being booked in high-profile criminal cases, the report added.
After the detention in Moldova, a four-member Punjab Police team took charge of bringing the accused back to Punjab. The team completed the process and brought him into police custody on September 11.
Faces 21 criminal cases
Punjab Police said Amrit Dalam faces 21 criminal cases. The cases involve several serious offences, including allegations under the Indian Penal Code/Bharatiya criminal law provisions, Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including murder and extortion.
The large number of accusations against the accused also renders his return important in several ongoing investigations.
Authorities will also ask him about his alleged involvement in the cases registered against him and his connections to people from organised crime groups. They might also probe how he got and used the forged passport and what the reason is for his departure from India.
#WATCH | Amrit Dalam alias Amritpal Singh, linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, was brought back to Punjab from Moldova by Punjab Police’s OFTEC team. He had fled India in October 2024 using a forged passport. After a six-month-long ‘Operation Eastern Reach’ by AGTF & OFTEC, he… pic.twitter.com/ZHbeS2OXBw
— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2026
Punjab Police is stepping up the game and dealing with gang networks.
Punjab has witnessed police action against organised criminal groups and gang-linked individuals in recent years. Such suspects are also said to take refuge in international locations after committing crimes or facing investigations in India.
The return of Amrit Dalam from Moldova is part of that ongoing campaign to locate and bring back wanted accused persons who have escaped abroad.
That Punjab Police’s latest operation shows how effective it is to have international cooperation in tackling organised crime. Increasingly, criminal networks are also using foreign countries to avoid arrest, with investigators now relying on intelligence gathering, digital tracking and cooperation with authorities overseas to track them.
The accused will now have to undergo further investigation and legal proceedings in the cases registered against him. And his questioning would add to the evidence that we would have on his criminal activities and gang connections and presence of mind once he leaves India.
Punjab Police said the operation was part of their ongoing struggle against organised crime and wanted offenders operating within and outside the state.
