Gangsters, especially from abroad, running extortion racket pose a formidable challenge to Punjab Police

Punjab Police officers acknowledge the extortion cases have “grown significantly” in recent years into a widespread organised criminal activity having deep-rooted connections to domestic and international gangs. Businessmen, industrialists, Punjabi singers, doctors, and now even small traders are targets of these gangs.

Extortion demands range from as small as Rs 50,000 to whopping Rs 5 crore, depending on the target’s profile. For instance, a Batala businessman is said to have paid Rs 50 lakh in February 2025, while an Amritsar businessman got a demand of Rs 5 crore in August 2024, police sources say.

Senior police officers, tracking gangsters involved in extortion cases, say gangsters employ sophisticated methods such as international phone numbers, social media platforms and local operatives to gather intelligence and issue threats. Many operate from foreign countries like Canada, the US, and Portugal, making it difficult for the police to apprehend them. They recruit local ‘foot soldiers’ from villages to carry out shootings or intimidation tactics.

Police sources said several gangs are active in the extortion racket in Punjab, but the primary among them are the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs. Led by jailed gangster Bishnoi and Canada-based Goldy Brar, these groups shot to infamy after the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. Rival groups like the Kaushal gang, Neeraj Faridpuria gang, and Davinder Bambiha gang are also active, engaging in extortion, contract killings, and drug trafficking, police sources said. Emerging gangsters often misuse the names of established figures like Bishnoi to extort money, complicating investigations, they said.

“Gangsters such as Arsh Dalla, Lakhbir Singh Landa and Gurdev Jassal (the US-based) orchestrate extortion rackets using encrypted apps and hawala transactions. Their operations are often linked to broader criminal activities, including drug smuggling and Khalistani terrorism,” a senior police officer said.

In May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arsh Dalla in the 2024 Neemrana hotel firing case that was linked to extortion.

During the attack on September 8, 2024, 35 rounds were fired around the premises of Hotel Highway King, Neemrana, to terrorise and threaten people, the agency said. Two attackers were subsequently identified as members of the Bambiha gang, having connections with Dalla’s terrorist-gangster network. They had used prohibited weapons and threatened the hotel owner and manager to extort money. The manager had earlier received several threatening calls from international numbers.

As per NIA investigations, Dalla’s associates have been resorting to extortion through such terror and violent means to raise funds for the banned Khalistani terrorist outfits. Businessmen and other targets were identified by these gangsters and their aides, who would threaten and coerce the targets into paying huge sums.

Punjab police officers emphasise the glorification of gangster culture in music and social media, further emboldening criminals, attracting vulnerable youths to their networks for easy money and fame.

“The surge in extortion threats by gangsters in Punjab reflects a complex interplay of organised crime, international networks and local vulnerabilities. The Punjab Police and the Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) have made strides in arrests and extraditions, but the persistence of foreign operations and the recruitment of local youth highlight the need for robust multi-pronged strategies,” the senior official added.

Below is a list of recent extortion cases in Punjab involving organised crime, gangsters, and high-profile threats. The cases are drawn from credible sources and reflect the ongoing challenge of extortion in the state.

January 2025: Two associates of foreign-based gangster Prabhdeep Singh, alias Prabh Dasuwal, linked to the Ghanshyampuria gang, were arrested after a shootout in Valtoha, Tarn Taran district. The duo was involved in an extortion racket, targeting a commission agent for Rs 20 lakh and firing at a medical store in Gharyala village.

January 2025: A shopkeeper in Dera Baba Nanak received threatening phone calls for extortion and shots were fired at his business establishment by criminals who were later apprehended after an encounter

February 2025: A Ludhiana businessman received an international call, demanding Rs 30 lakh in the name of a gangster

April 2025: Two unidentified persons opened fire at the house of the sarpanch of Warriach village in Gurdaspur district

April 2025: Police arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with making an extortion call for Rs 1 crore to an automobile showroom owner in Fatehgarh Churian in the name of gangster Goldy Brar.

July 2025: A businessman in Kapurthala received an extortion call on Whatsapp, demanding money. Police are investigating the origins of the call