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In a significant breakthrough against organised crime syndicates, the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) early Sunday arrested Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha, a close associate of gangster Anmol Bishnoi. Anmol is the brother of notorious jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Lakha, 25, was formally arrested following his deportation from the United States on Friday. The arrest, executed at the Delhi airport by a Haryana Police team, marks the first successful deportation of a fugitive from the US in the STF’s ongoing campaign against transnational criminal networks, the STF said in a statement.
The STF facilitated his deportation on October 25 after nearly a year of sustained efforts and coordination with national agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and international law-enforcement bodies. A Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued on December 26, 2024, and a Look Out Circular (LOC) on December 7, 2023, paving the way for his legal deportation.
A resident of Titram village in Kaithal district, Lakha had been operating from the US since 2022 under the directions of Anmol Bishnoi.
Investigations revealed that he was allegedly involved in multiple extortion and firing incidents connected to the Lawrence-Anmol Bishnoi syndicate across Haryana and Punjab.
He faces six criminal cases in Haryana, including one each for extortion and criminal intimidation in Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, and Kaithal districts, and one for extortion and attempt to murder in Ambala district.
The STF added that these cases primarily relate to the collection of extortion money, threats to life, and coordinated firing incidents executed at the behest of the Bishnoi brothers.
Lakha is set to be presented before an Ambala court Monday for further police custody.
The STF had previously facilitated deportations from Thailand, the UAE, and Cambodia, but this operation opens a new dimension of international cooperation, it said.
The arrest is part of a broader crackdown, with the STF executing over 220 gang-related arrests in 2025. These operations, supported by targeted actions and proactive surveillance, have led to a sharp decline in extortion calls — from 160 cases in the corresponding period of 2024 to 109 this year.
“This consistent reduction highlights the commitment, professionalism, and coordinated strategy of STF Haryana in safeguarding citizens and dismantling the organised crime ecosystem operating both within India and abroad,” said the STF.
In its message, the STF urged Haryana’s youth not to be influenced by gangsters who misuse social media from foreign countries to lure young minds into crime. “These criminals project false glamour while using others as tools for their illegal activities,” the note warned.
To fugitives abroad, the STF issued a clear message: “Distance will not protect them from the reach of law. Through close coordination with national and international agencies, every fugitive will be traced, deported, and brought to justice.”
Lakha was wanted in multiple criminal cases related to extortion, criminal intimidation, illegal possession and use of firearms, and attempt to murder, a CBI spokesperson had said Saturday.
“Earlier, the CBI got the Red Notice published against Lakha through Interpol on the request of the Haryana Police. The subject was deported from the USA and arrived in India on October 25, 2025. He was taken into custody by a team of Haryana Police at Delhi airport,” the spokesperson added.
Red Notices issued by Interpol are circulated to law enforcement agencies worldwide to assist in tracking and locating wanted fugitives. As the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India, the CBI coordinates with all law enforcement agencies through Bharatpol, the national Interpol coordination platform, for tracking of wanted fugitives.
The CBI also highlighted that more than 130 wanted criminals have been brought back to India in recent years through Interpol coordination, with Lakha’s case being a testament to this effort.
The agency added, “After nearly a year of continuous coordination and legal follow-up with the relevant authorities, his legal deportation from the USA has been successfully executed.”
In social media posts on June 6 this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had said that it had apprehended Lakhvinder Kumar that week from Stockton (California).
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