21 foreign handlers of proKhalistani modules identified: Punjab DGP
‘Being run and financed by operatives based in Europe, America and the Middle East’
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police in 2017 identified 21 foreign handlers of pro-Khalistan modules who provide logistics to militants in India, director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora said on Thursday. At a press conference to highlight achievements of Punjab Police in 2017, , Arora said these foreign handlers were identified by procuring information from intelligence agencies and during probe into elements linked with eight terror modules busted by the police in 2017.
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police in 2017 identified 21 foreign handlers of pro-Khalistan modules who provide logistics and training to terrorists in India, director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora said on Thursday.
At a press conference in Chandigarh to highlight achievements of the Punjab Police in 2017, Arora said these foreign handlers were identified by procuring information from intelligence agencies and during probe into elements linked with eight terror modules busted by the police in 2017.
‘47 LINKED TO TERROR MODULES HELD’
The DGP said these modules were mainly being run and financed by operatives based in Europe, North America and the Middle East, with an aim to kill members of organisations associated with the minority community to spread communal disharmony and revive terrorism in Punjab.
He said activities of these handlers have been put under the radar of the central agencies. He admitted that pro-Khalistan elements living out of India are using social media as a platform to increase their activities and are using the internet to radicalise people in Punjab.
‘408 GANGSTERS ARRESTED LAST YEAR’
The DGP said the police arrested as many as 408 gangsters, seized 149 snatched vehicles, 183 firearms and ₹1.5 crore were from organised criminal gangs last year. A mobile application having dossiers of more than 80,000 active criminals with the help of artificial intelligence and facedetection system was operationalised, he said, adding that court permissions were obtained for conducting 159 trials through video-conferencing in organised crime cases.
‘SHARP DECLINE’
Arora, who was also DGP during the previous SAD-BJP government, credited the Captain Amarinder Singh government with decline in crimes in Punjab.
“All major crime witnessed a major decrease in 2017 as the police raised the bar after the installation of the new government,” a press release issued by the DGP read.
The state police chief shared data to make his point. He said murder cases came down to 656 from 771, attempt to murder cases from 862 to 795, kidnapping/abduction cases from 1,591 to 1,462, robbery from 147 to 116 while dacoity cases came down from 43 to 26.